The Nagpur division will also organise many festivals, including the Ramtek Festival in Nagpur district, Bor Dam and Wildlife festival in Vardha district and Bodalkasa Bird festival in Gondia district. “These festivals will be organised through the regional offices of the Directorate of Tourism, with the help of the local district administration. These mini-festivals will help feature less explored destinations prominently on the Maharashtra tourism map,” feels Sawalkar.

The Junnar Grape festival

The state government’s tourism department hosted a three-day Grape festival in Junnar, one of the prominent tourism destinations in Maharashtra during 19-21 February 2021. The festival is aimed at placing Junnar grape yards as the most-sought after tourist destination in the state and promoting grape agro-tourism.

Surrounded by the beautiful mountain ranges of Malshej, winding natural ghats, ancient caves and two Ashtavinayak temples, Junnar is perfect for tourism. Some of the key attractions of the festival include local food and rural rides, heritage walks and enthralling cultural programmes. The itinerary comprised visits to less explored places, such as grape farms, Junnar heritage walk areas, wineries, the Ozar Ganpati temple, the Gibson statue, the Lenyadri Ganpati temple, Tamhane museum, the Amba-Ambika caves and the Junnar weekly market. 

“Many cultural and entertainment programmes were arranged during the festival. It has provided a great opportunity to local farmers, self-help groups and local artisans to showcase their work to tourists,” says Sawalkar. Adds Supriya Karmarkar, deputy director, tourism, Pune: “Tourists were able to enjoy a special tour of farm-fresh grapes, consume and purchase beverages on the spot and witness the entire wine-making process at the festival. We have a variety of grapes and grape products such as raisins, black currents, grape juice, etc. Tourists had an opportunity to purchase freshly-plucked grapes directly from the farm. It wss a good way to help grape harvesters extend their reach, while giving them a chance to meet and exchange experiences with tourists, experts and business enterprises.”

Panhala festival

To showcase its rich culture and heritage, MTDC hosted the Panhala festival on 26-28 February 2021. During these days, the historic city of forts, Panhala, was all set to launch a three-day festival for travel enthusiasts in the state. Situated at a height of 3,200 ft above sea level, Panhala is a quaint hill station located in the district of Kolhapur. Through such festivals, the state government aims to feature less explored destinations prominently on the Maharashtra tourism map.

The marquee festival was inaugurated at Interpretation Centre on 26 February and an impressive set of historic weapons and vintage cars was displayed there. Additionally, there will be a variety of activities and competitions conducted at the festival, such as cycling, marathon, painting, etc, which were open to tourist participation.

MTDC hosted a two-day bird festival on 27 and 28 February in Bodalkasa for birding enthusiasts. The festival was aimed at creating awareness about the importance of bird conservation and promoting the rich avian diversity of Bodalkasa. Known for various tourist attractions like Bodalkasa Damand Nagzira Tiger Reserve, Bodalkasa has earned the reputation of being a haven for those who seek adventure as well as nature’s beauty. It has emerged as the favourite birding spot in the state as bird-watchers flock to it for sighting various types of birds. 

Apart from birding, the festival offered guided bird tours of the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve and Bodalkasa. Also, there were lectures and talk shows by eminent ornithologists, which were designed to inform and make one a better bird watcher, as also various competitions for children and exhibitions of different products by the Department of Agriculture.