credits: Baithak & Beyond
On a typical weekend in Pune, a small cafe fills up quietly. Someone adjusts the mic, someone else flips through a notebook, and a few people just sit back, ready to listen. What began as a niche interest is now becoming a reliable weekend ritual in Pune.
Poetry communities that offer both escape and connection.
A space to be heard
For many, these gatherings are a weekend alternative in Pune to the usual home-to-office loop. Arista Engineer, a 28-year-old teacher, says she first came looking for “things to do outside of the usual grind” and stayed for the people. What she found was a space that felt, simply “welcoming”, a rare quality that keeps bringing people back every weekend in Pune.
Credits: Baithak & Beyond
That sense of openness is what seems to define a weekend spent at a poetry event. “In communities such as Baithak & Beyond I found poetry presented as an art form that provides something for everyone — the art of listening and being listened to is kept alive, nurtured and celebrated here,” she explains. Over multiple weekends in Pune, she has watched first-time writers, seasoned poets, and even quiet listeners slowly find their voice.
Why the crowds are growing
That sense of belonging is what organisers believe is driving the rise of these weekend poetry communities in Pune. Sonali Rasal, poet and organiser for The Corinthians Literati and Baithak And Beyond, says, “Many participants come from different parts of the country for education or jobs. Not only do they make life long friendships in these gatherings, they also represent the language, culture of their home place.
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Credits: Baithak & Beyond
Simran Khurana, organiser for Tape a Tale, believes the appeal of a weekend Pune poetry event lies in what the digital world lacks. She says, “Listening to someone talking about an experience you have had in words you did not think, gives one a new window to the world. The sense of camaraderie is also something that helps people to get away from the regular 9-5.” Interestingly, the culture has shifted: more people now show up just to listen, making the weekend poetry scene in Pune as much about audiences as performers.
Finding voice, finding confidence
At the heart of it, these spaces are changing people. Arista recalls how she once apologised for writing only in English. Today, after many weekends in Pune spent at poetry events, she writes in multiple languages and introduces her work with confidence. “Sometimes, you just need someone to believe in you a little more than you yourself do,” she says.
Credits: Baithak & Beyond
For others, the draw lies in the exchange. Software engineer and author Roopal Nema describes these gatherings as a “safe space” where art meets honest feedback.
Over several weekends in Pune, she has seen how people learn, listen, and grow together. “We found bond. A bond that connects Art to Artists and Artists to Audiences at Social, Emotional and Cultural levels,” she says, highlighting that what they have between them is not a competition, but instead a support system.
Cafes as cultural corners
Venues, too, are shaping this weekend culture in Pune. At Kitabi Chai cafe, owner Geetika Anand says open mics were started to give new voices a platform.
Over time, these weekend poetry events in Pune have brought in a younger, more creative crowd—many of whom return, not just for coffee, but for connection. She says, “First-time performers are often very skeptical—they wonder whether they should perform or not, and whether their work is good enough.
But after spending some time in the ambience and getting comfortable with the space, they usually feel happy and confident to perform.
In the end, it’s just the first line, the first poem, that truly requires courage.”
More than a weekend plan
What makes these gatherings stand out as a weekend experience in Pune is what you take back home. Unlike a film or a play, poetry lingers. You carry lines, emotions, and sometimes even friendships beyond the weekend in Pune.
Credits: Baithak & Beyond
As these communities move beyond cafés into gardens, public spaces, and city landmarks, they are slowly becoming part of Pune’s cultural voice.
In a city already known for its literature and arts, poetry is quietly claiming its place as a thoughtful, intimate, and increasingly popular weekend getaway in Pune. I have watched listeners become readers, I have watched the most well-read critics be awed by an amateur’s line or fresh take on a metaphor. I have even witnessed a proposal because the couple first met at a poetry event! We all got treated to ice cream afterwards. What better recommendation can you get for a community of apparent strangers that someone is willing to share one of life’s most special days with them?
~Arista Engineer, High school teacher
When I meet people from other cities, it feels good to hear how they find the Pune audience very supportive. The concept of ‘third-space’ that is now taking steam, has kind of been here since a long time, in this way.
~Simran Khurana, Organiser for Tape a Tale
People in Pune are constantly moving in and out for education and work, so building a steady audience is always a challenge. With more poetry groups emerging and only a few weekends each month, timing becomes crucial. While audiences enjoy familiar formats, they’re also seeking fresh experiences, making curation a creative balancing act.
