All religious, social, and cultural festivals are celebrated with great pomp and vigour in Pune. The city is abuzz with activities as it hosts a number of national and cultural events throughout the year. However, the religious fervour and the magnitude with which Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in Pune, is truly incomparable. 

Maharashtra Tourism and Development Corporation (MTDC) organises a month-long festival known as ‘Pune Festival’ during Ganesh Chaturthi. The main highlights of the festivities include: classical dance and musical recitals fest, a film and drama festival, automobile rallies, and traditional sports.

For connoisseurs of Indian Classical music, Pune hosts an annual musical festival in December - ‘Sawaai Gandharva Music Festival’. Renowned classical singers mesmerise the city with their spell-binding performances of Hindustani Classical and Carnatic music. The festival spans over a period of three days, and attracts music lovers from all across the globe.

Pune is home to one of the largest spiritual growth centres in the world – The Osho International Meditation Resort. Located at Koregaon Park, this meditation and personal development centre attracts people from world over. This meditation resort was conceptualised by Osho Rajneesh, an internationally renowned spiritual guru who resided and taught in Pune in the 1970s and 80s. 

Another spiritual landmark is the internationally renowned Vedanta Academy which is located in the Malavali hills near Pune. The academy was founded by the great exponent of Vedanta, Swami Parthasarathy, and it offers free Vedanta education to all young aspirants desirous of acquiring knowledge.

In Pune’s immediate vicinity are the villages of religious significance - Dehu and Alandi. Dehu is the birthplace of Sant Tukaram, and Alandi is the birthplace of Sant Dnyaneshwar.  Every year, a religious procession called ‘Wari’ takes place where thousands of pilgrims carry palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram to the holy city of Pandharpur which is located 300 kilometres from Pune. The pilgrims undertake the journey on foot and reach Pandharpur on ‘Aashadhi Ekadashi’ which marks the end of ‘Wari’.

In the northwest part of Pune, there is a huge temple dedicated to the reigning deity of the city - Goddess Chaturshringi. During the nine-day festival of Navratri, devotees visit the holy temple and seek blessings of the Goddess. 

One of the little known facts about Pune is that the city was home to a sizeable population of Bene Israel (Sons of Israel), the Indian Jewish community. They migrated to Maharshtra in early nineteenth century, and settled in Pune and Mumbai. The Ohel David Synagogue in Pune is the largest synagogue outside Israel in Asia. Most of the Bene Israelis have immigrated back to Israel, and today, only a handful Bene Israelis live in the city.

People of all faiths and beliefs live in perfect harmony in Pune.