A Celebration of Tourism in the Lap of the Sahyadris

‘Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival 2026’ to be held at Patan from April 2 to 6

Mumbai,  2026: Maharashtra Tourism, in collaboration with the District Administration, Satara, and the Regional Tourism Directorate, Pune, will organise the ‘Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival 2026.’ The festival will be held in Patan, Satara, from April 2 to April 6, 2026.

This festival has been organised to promote the beautiful tourist destinations in Satara, located in the majestic Sahyadri mountain range, and place them on the national and international tourism map in a more prominent manner. According to the Honourable Mr. Shambhuraj Desai, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, the festival is expected to give a significant boost to tourism in the area, further strengthening the local economy. He also stated that this initiative will help showcase the region's cultural richness, natural beauty, and adventure tourism opportunities to a wider audience. Additionally, he appealed to all citizens, farmers, tourists, and entrepreneurs to participate in large numbers and help make the festival a huge success.

On April 2, the festival will start with a Shahiri Powada event. On April 3, a Bhajani Mandal event is scheduled. On April 4, a thrilling Brass Band event is scheduled, while on April 5, the Lavani Festival will be held. Along with these cultural events, tourists will also have the chance to participate in a variety of recreational activities, including fun fairs, boating, horse riding, paragliding, and camel safaris.

Other attractions of the festival include the carnival, weapons exhibition, electric buggy ride, carnival parade, agricultural exhibition, food festival, animal and bird shows. There will also be special exhibition areas for women's self-help groups. These areas will allow women to exhibit and sell their products.

Additionally, health and wellness tourism activities, such as yoga, meditation, and Ayurvedic therapies, will be held during the festival. Adventure enthusiasts can look forward to exciting activities such as paragliding, paramotoring, jet-skiing, trekking, rock climbing, and seaplane experiences.

The festival will also feature several popular personalities from the entertainment industry. Famous personalities such as Sanskriti Balgude, Janhavi Killekar, Spruha Joshi, Bhau Kadam, Bharat Ganeshpure, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Kushal Badrike, Hemangi Kavi, along with singers like Rohit Raut, Juilee Joglekar, and Abhijeet Jadhav–Amu Jadhav, will participate in the festival.

The Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival 2026 will give tourists a colourful glimpse of the area's culture, traditions, and tourism potential. The festival program will include folk art, traditional cultural programs, and special programs by renowned artists. Additionally, there will be agri-tourism activities that allow tourists to experience rural tourism firsthand.

As per the state government’s tourism policy, informative seminars on women’s empowerment, youth participation in tourism, and adventure tourism activities will also be conducted during the festival. Special heritage tours to the historic forts of the Sahyadris, visits to scenic destinations, and heritage sites such as ancient temples will be conducted during the festival.

To add more glamour to the festival, handicrafts, women’s artistic creations, the traditional cuisine of the Satara district, boating races, photography, painting competitions, interactive workshops, etc., will be held during the festival. Apart from this, a special familiarisation tour for tourism stakeholders, travel agents, tour operators, social media influencers, etc., will be conducted during the festival.

Mr. Sanjay Khandare (IAS), Principal Secretary (Tourism), Government of Maharashtra
“Such festivals can prove to be extremely beneficial in the development of rural, adventure, and wellness tourism in the state, in line with the state's tourism policy. The ‘Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival 2026’ festival can prove to be a powerful platform that can bring together local talent, cultural heritage, and tourism in the state.”

Dr. B. N. Patil (IAS), Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra
“Through the Koyna Daulat Dongri Festival, it is our aim to provide tourists with a multidimensional experience that can offer them adventure, cultural richness, food, and the beauty of the region. The festival can prove to be beneficial in the development of the tourism identity of Patan and the Satara district as well.”

Airbnb and MTDC partner to promote unexplored destinations in Maharashtra

Airbnb has partnered with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to promote homestay and bed & breakfast (B&B) tourism in the state of Maharashtra. By promoting homestay tourism, this partnership will encourage travel to lesser-known destinations and will enable inclusive community-led tourism in the state, that will further enhance economic prospects.

Under the agreement, Airbnb and MTDC will:

• Promote nearby travel-to destinations in Maharashtra that are off the beaten track and offer a unique experience to travelers

• Onboard three MTDC properties within Maharashtra that will offer travelers differentiated offerings including farm stays

• Conduct webinars and workshops to train homestay hosts and B&B owners on Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning protocol—the first overarching standardized guidelines for cleaning and sanitization in the home sharing industry—to support hosts in advance of reopening communities for travel.

The partnership furthers both parties’ commitment to support a sustainable tourism ecosystem,  while highlighting current and upcoming tourism destinations in the state. Through knowledge  sharing and training workshops with hosts, the partnership will also enhance the potential of  tourism to create jobs and sustain livelihoods for local communities and will spotlight unique  properties as more travelers explore stays near metro cities. 

Announcing the partnership, Aaditya Thackeray, Minister for Tourism, Environment & Climate Change and Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, said: “Maharashtra is an  ecologically and culturally rich state and offers travelers unique travel experiences. We are  committed to improving community-driven hospitality that is sustainable and offers travelers  accessible, affordable and quality tourism. Safety is also key. With Airbnb, we will strengthen the  ecosystem for the growth of homestays and B&Bs in the state, to revive tourism growth in the  coming months. We appreciate Airbnb’s effort in helping us promote tourism in Maharashtra.”

Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager (India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan) at  Airbnb, said: “This partnership is a valuable opportunity to drive rapid demand growth towards domestic tourism and to support economic recovery. Airbnb has always been committed to  highlighting unique destinations that are off the beaten track, and to ensure that economic benefits  of tourism reach as many communities as possible. We are proud to be working with MTDC, and  to support their vision. Rebuilding trust in travel is a long-term mindset and requires a collaborative  effort between governments, tourism authorities and private players. We have witnessed  commendable efforts put in by the Government of Maharashtra and MTDC towards this endeavor  and are fully committed to support them”.

According to Airbnb’s own search trends and data, destinations within Maharashtra such as  Karjat, Igatpuri, Alibag and Panchgani remain widely searched for options with their stunning  scenery, including in the backdrop of the Western Ghats, and offer authentic cultural experiences  for travelers.