Pune: Tourist Rush at Sinhagad Fort Surges, 96,000 Visitors Recorded in 20 Days
Khadakwasla, 12th January 2026: Tourist footfall at Sinhagad Fort has surged during the holiday season, driven by the site’s historical significance, natural beauty and favourable weather. According to data maintained by the Ghera Sinhagad Forest Conservation Committee under the Forest Department, nearly one lakh tourists visited the fort over a 20-day period.
Between December 22, 2025 and January 11, 2026, around 21,662 tourists arrived on two-wheelers, with 10,831 such vehicles recorded at the entry point. During the same period, about 37,465 tourists reached the fort in 7,493 four-wheelers. In addition, nearly 37,000 tourists visited Sinhagad using private passenger transport vehicles. In total, approximately 96,000 tourists visited the fort during this period, excluding those who reached the site on foot.
The Forest Department charges an entry nuisance fee of Rs 50 for two-wheelers and Rs 100 for four-wheelers to enter the forest area. From December 22 to January 11, a total of Rs 12.65 lakh was collected online from two-wheeler and four-wheeler entries. Daily revenue data shows that the lowest collection of Rs 16,950 was recorded on January 7 and January 9, while the highest collection of Rs 1.32 lakh was registered on December 28, 2025. On January 1, the collection stood at Rs 1.19 lakh.
Forest Range Officer Santosh Patil, Forest Guard Baliram Vaikar and the security team have been carrying out regular patrols in the Sinhagad forest area to manage crowds and ensure safety.
Local food stalls continue to remain a major attraction for visitors. The Forest Department has allotted stalls to local residents who have traditionally been engaged in food-related businesses. Items such as onion fritters, pithla-bhakri, bhariṭ, curd, buttermilk, lemon juice and raw mango preparations remain especially popular among tourists.
However, rising tourist numbers have also led to infrastructure challenges. Parking facilities at Sinhagad have proved inadequate, while frequent traffic congestion is reported in the final three-kilometre stretch of the ghat road. Due to congestion, vehicular movement towards the fort has to be halted for around 30 minutes every two hours, resulting in several tourists turning back from the Golewadi checkpoint, said Dattatraya Jorikar, a member of the Forest Conservation Committee.
Addressing these concerns, Pune Deputy Conservator of Forests Mahadev Mohite said repairs to toilets near the parking area are required and will be taken up soon. He added that planning is underway to enforce a plastic ban more effectively. “Tourist numbers are increasing steadily. We are making efforts to provide better facilities while ensuring conservation of the forest area,” Mohite said.
