Mahabaleshwar to be turned into international tourist destination, 3-day festival in April planned

Mumbai: The hill station of Mahabaleshwar is being transformed into an international tourism station.

Nestled in the Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats, the Mahabaleshwar town located in Satara district, was the erstwhile summer capital of Old Bombay Presidency.

The town is situated at a height of about 4,500 feet and its exotic greenery, beautiful gardens, breath-taking scenery, villages, old mansions, strawberry farms, and honey attracts people across India.

The name Mahabaleshwar came from the Lord Shiva (Mahabali), the temple situated in old Mahabaleshwar, popularly known as Kshetra Mahabaleshwar. It is situated 5 km from Mahabaleshwar city. The Krishnabai Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, also attracts people. The Panchganga Temple is one such holy and divine site that draws a huge crowd of tourists due to its religious significance. It’s a stunning ancient monument that is made at the confluence of 5 waterbodies named Krishna, Venna, Koyna, Savithri, and Gayatri.

To start with, the Maharashtra government’s Directorate of Tourism will host a three-day Mahabaleshwar Tourism Festival from 26-28 April 2025.

The programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and will be attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

“The three-day festival, organized in collaboration with the Tourism Department and local district administration, aims to introduce tourists to the tourist attractions, local art and culture, and food culture and to increase tourism through this,” informed Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai.

As part of the festival, the Strawberry Festival and the Agritourism Festival will be hosted.

“This festival will provide a platform for art, culture, handicrafts, cuisine and the talents of local artists and give tourist fame to local tourist places. Along with this, the festival will organize programs that showcase local culture and programs with the participation of renowned artists,” officials said.

Tours to to Panchgani, Kaas Plateau, Koynanagar, Tapola, forts and other tourist places in the Mahabaleshwar area, setting up various types of tent accommodation for tourists, paragliding, paramotoring, water sports, trekking, rock climbing, horse riding are being planned.

The festival will organize an introductory tour, specifically inviting stakeholders related to the tourism sector, representatives of travel agencies, travel agents, tour operators, and social media influencers from various states within the country.

Programs showcasing local culture, participation of renowned artists, organization of strawberry and agri-tourism festivals, construction of various types of tent accommodation for tourists, paragliding, paramotoring, water sports, trekking, rock climbing, horse riding, etc. Various adventure activities will be implemented, exhibition and sale of handicrafts of local self-help groups, local culinary arts and culture and food festival hall, visit to various tourist places and ancient temples in Mahabaleshwar.