Ajay Devgn's 'Tanhaji' ups tourist influx at Sinhagad Fort
’10K visited last weekend’
“At least, 10,000 persons arrived here last weekend. As many as 800 persons or about double the number showed up on Monday.” Ajay Shirke, PWD official.
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, January 14
The success of Ajay Devgn’s “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior” has upped tourist influx at the historic Sinhagad Fort, located some 32 kilometres from Pune.
According to local officials, the number of visitors rose to 10,000 last weekend. This week too, a huge turnout was witnessed. “At least, 10,000 people arrived here last weekend unlike 3,000 to 4,000 earlier,” said Ajay Shirke, an official of the Public Works Department (PWD). As many as 800 persons or about double the number showed up on Monday.
Officials of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) said: “Maharashtra’s historical forts have always drawn tourists in large numbers. However, films like “Tanhaji” zoom the footfall.”
Apart from casual visitors, who drive up to the entrance of the fort from Pune, Sinhagad also draws a committed bunch of trekkers, who clamber up the the difficult mountain path to reach the fort. Trekkers reach a point called Atkarewadi, from where they begin the difficult climb to the top of the fort.
“While experienced trekkers can reach the fort in an hour, amateurs take more than two hours,” said an MTDC official.
The motorable road, which traverses the treacherous ghat section, suffers serious damage during the rainy season and needs regular repairs in the last months of the year. With the authorities expecting an
influx of tourists following the interest generated by “Tanhaji”, the approach road to the fort was repaired on New Year.
“We have installed safety nets on several stretches to prevent landslides,” said a PWD official. Often, tourists get off vehicles at dangerous precipices to click selfies, leading to mishaps. Last weekend, a trekker lost his balance and fell into a gorge, from where he called his family in Mumbai for help before being rescued.
