Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival draws over 1.5 Lakh Visitors
Tourism Minister with District Collector and CEO ZP Satara
Deputy CM Shinde announces plans to launch Koyna Backwater Festival in December-January, and inaugurated projects, including Sangwad Bridge over Koyna River, Late Shivajirao Desai Memorial Hall & Shivajirao Daulat Stadium at Daulatnagar.
The Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival 2026, organised by Maharashtra Tourism, has witnessed footfall of over 1.5 lakh visitors so far, underlining its growing popularity and impact in promoting rural tourism. The festival was attended by the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde. Shinde directed that the festival be extended for three more days, till April 9.
The festival is being organised in collaboration with the District Administration, Satara, and the Regional Tourism Directorate, Pune, to promote tourism in Satara District, and it is witnessing high participation for consecutive days. The ongoing festival is celebrating the rich cultural heritage, tourism opportunities, and community spirit in the picturesque Sahyadri mountain range.
Addressing the media on the occasion of the event, Deputy CM Shinde said that “Inspired by the popularity of the Koyna Daulat Dongri festival, we plan to launch the Koyna Backwater Festival in December-January and aim to bring it up to global standards. The Minister of Tourism, Shamburaj Desai and the Department of Tourism have taken major steps in promoting rural tourism, and we have chalked out a strategic plan to ensure that Maharashtra is the best destination state of the nation when it comes to tourism.”
The festival was inaugurated with pomp and ceremony on April 2 in village of Nade, in Patan taluka, by the Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, Shambhuraj Desai. Among those who graced the festival with their presence were Dr B. N. Patil (IAS), Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, Neelesh Ramesh Gatne (IAS), Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Santosh Patil (IAS), District Collector of Satara, Yashni Nagarajan (IAS), CEO of Zilla Parishad (Satara), Dr Vaishali Kadukar, In-Charge Superintendent of Police, Raviraj Desai, President of Morna Education Institution, and Yashraj Desai, Chairman of Loknete Balasaheb Desai Co-operative Sugar Factory, among others.
Speaking about the initiative, the Minister Shambhuraj Desai said, “The festival has been organised to ensure that people from all walks of life can experience such a celebration. Such festivals are immensely helpful in ensuring livelihood opportunities for the locals, promoting eco-tourism, and preserving our traditional art forms.”
The event blends traditional cultural showcases with adventure activities, including boating, jet water adventures, paragliding, horseback riding, camel rides, and electric buggy rides. The festival also features a weapons exhibition, fun fair attractions, agricultural and livestock exhibitions, food festival experiences, and women's self-help groups.
The event showcased the animal exhibition featuring Radha, the world’s shortest living water buffalo, recognised by Guinness World Records. The attractions at the festival include grand drone and laser shows, and musical fountain presentations, which are drawing significant attention from locals.
Shahir Santosh Salunkhe, Shahir Prasad Vibhute, Shahir Dr Devanand Mali, and Shahir Dr Nishigandha Mane performed Shahiri Powada acts. This was then succeeded by Bhajani Mandal acts presented by Jyotitai Shyam Gorane (Jagar Stri Shakticha), Aniruddha Karkar (Shri Sant Dnyaneshwar Mauli Bhajni Mandal), Abhimanyu Panchal (Swar Bhajni Mandal), and Adinath Satale Guruji (Rangi Range Re Shrirange).
Following this, the cultural programme proceeded to a lively musical event, featuring performances by various bands, carnival parade and Lavani festival.
During the festival Deputy CM Shinde inaugurated key infrastructure projects, including the new Sangwad Bridge over the Koyna River, the Late Shivajirao Desai Memorial Hall and the Shivajirao Daulat Stadium at Daulatnagar.
On April 6, the festival featured stage performances by prominent personalities from the entertainment industry, adding grandeur to the event. These include Isha Malviya, Pravin Tarde, Spruha Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Sanskriti Balgude, Girija Prabhu, Janhavi Killekar, Yogita Chavan, Bhau Kadam, Hemangi Kavi, Arun Kadam, Rasika Vengurlekar, Rohit Raut, Juilee Joglekar, Kavita Ram, Tejpal Wagh, Abhijeet Jadhav, Amu Jadhav, Poonam Kudalkar, Archana Jawalekar, Namita Patil, and Asmita Punekar.
The musical evening, organised on April 7, saw participation of artists from Zee Saregamapa performing on the occasion. April 8 featured the ‘Folk Lok’ band performance. The festival will conclude on April 9, with a live performance by Avadhoot Gupte.
Dr B. N. Patil (IAS), Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra said, “Festivals like the Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival play a very important part in developing the tourism infrastructure in Maharashtra, as it combines the cultural heritage with emerging tourism offerings in one package.”
“The success witnessed at the Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival shows increasing popularity of tourism that involves rural tourism, cultural tourism, and adventure tourism in the state of Maharashtra. Such festivals serve to recognise talents in the region and offer sustainable economic growth opportunities to the local community. Moving forward, we aim to replicate and scale similar initiatives to further strengthen Maharashtra’s position as a diverse and experience-driven tourism destination,” said Neelesh Gatne (IAS), Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.
