How Pune’s Third Spaces Are Bringing Hobby Seekers Together Beyond Work and Home

Reported by Radhika Sharma and Shoaib Tadvi
Pune, 14th August 2026: With demanding work schedules and hectic lifestyles, finding time for personal interests can often become less of a priority. But a growing number of people are now choosing to use their weekends to explore hobbies, learn new skills and spend time doing activities they genuinely enjoy; creating space where their professional and personal responsibilities can be put on hold. Thus, a Third Space.

A third space can be a range of things, from a book club, to plugging into your favourite podcast without a care in the world.

The Government of India’s Time Use Survey 2024 concluded that around 93 per cent of Indians aged six years and above participated in culture, leisure, mass-media or sports activities on a typical day. In urban India, participation was nearly 96 per cent. Among people aged 15-29, around 93 per cent participated in these activities.

Now if we narrowed the scope to Pune, the city has a vast range of unexplored spaces, that can soon become your place, from photography groups to trekking, art workshops (pottery, ceramics, dance, painting, poetry, etc.), music, knowledge-gatherings like philosophy clubs, politics and debate clubs, astronomy clubs and other activity-based communities, these spaces are giving people an opportunity to step away from their regular routines, meet like-minded individuals and make their free time more meaningful.

To explore this changing leisure culture, Punekar News brings a special series on hobby clubs and creative communities in Pune. has a vast range of spaces that can be your place. Libraries; workshops- pottery, ceramics, painting, dance; book clubs, philosophy and politics clubs, birdwatching, astronomy, and so much more.

So, to start off our journey into Pune’s emerging third spaces and introducing them to audiences, we delved into the art of Tufting: where not only you get to create art, you get to take it home!

Tufting: Turning Creativity Into a Weekend Activity
One such activity gaining attention is tufting, a hands-on textile craft in which colourful yarn is pushed through stretched fabric using a tufting gun to create designs, rugs and decorative artwork.

Participants can select their own designs, experiment with colours and gradually turn an idea into a finished piece. The activity combines creativity, concentration and practical skill, while also offering an opportunity to interact with other participants.

One such place is ‘Tufting Tales’ in Kharadi, started by Priyanka Jadhav and Vinay Gaonkar, as a way to find a break from their hectic schedules and lifestyles.

“I was introduced to tufting by my daughter. She taught me how to do it, and lost interest but it caught my attention, and I thought this was something that was helping me relieve my stress,” says Priyanka.

A lot of people discover tufting through instagram, being new to the art, Jadhav and Gaonkar help them through stencils, and guidance.

“This is the first time I’ve come here, and it is actually seeming quite challenging right now. But I do attend dance workshops to unwind,” says Amulya, a content writer, and first-time attendee at the Tufting Tales.

Both, Priyanka and Vinay are corporate professionals, seeking to create a safe-space for people to express, create and unwind. They started the studio in May 2026, and started gaining traction in June. They’ve seen young professionals, college students, and families reach out looking for something different from their usual routine.

“We sent our chosen designs to Vinay, by the time we reached they already had stencils and canvases mapped out for us to start tufting, and they’ve been guiding us through the entire process,” says Snehal, a tour operator. She added, “My profession is to help people plan trips and tours via recommendations, other than that I do travel and trek for myself, which is something that helps me relax the most.”

Tufting offers them a chance to learn, create and take home something they’ve designed and crafted themselves.
Through this series, we aim to explore the people, activities and communities behind Pune’s evolving hobby culture, and understand why more people are choosing to dedicate their free time to passions beyond their everyday work.

Because sometimes, a good weekend is simply about making time for unwinding and crafting something you love.