It is here that a festival celebrated by people in their homes was made sarvajanik (public) by one of the pioneers of India's freedom struggle, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. To inspire the common man and galvanise a mass movement against the British colonial rulers' order barring public meetings, he started the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav.

Today, the look of the festival has changed, but the spirit - of bringing people together -- remains the same.

The celebrations this year, however, are a little muted due to floods in Maharashtra. Patcy Nair and photographer Jewella C Miranda took a tour of some of Pune's best-known Ganeshotsav celebrations.

Also see: Ganeshotsav : Complete coverage