Maharashtra Unveils Heli-Tourism Plan for Nashik Kumbh Mela Pilgrims
In a big boost to tourists during the upcoming Nashik Kumbh Mela, Heli Tourism is set to make the travelling even smoother and faster. This is a great relief for travellers who were finding it difficult to travel great distances during the previous Kumbh Mela in Nashik. Maharashtra government has introduced the heli tourism circuit to the upcoming Nashik Kumbh Mela that is going to take place from October 31, 2026, to July 24, 2028.
Development of Heli Tourism in Nashik Kumbh Mela
The trouble of visitors during the Nashik Kumbh Mela 2026-2028 is getting to get over with the introduction of heli tourism. Pilgrims can now avoid crowded roads and travel between destinations in minutes. They will not have to travel for long duration by road, and can take the aerial route to reach their destination of pilgrimage site. This will shorten their travel time and skip traffic on congested roads.
Heli Tourism Circuit
This heli tourism circuit will connect major temples that people expect to visit during the Nashik Kumbh Mela 2026. These pilgrimage sites are located at great distances, and road travel will get difficult and troublesome. Lakhs of pilgrims are expected to visit these temples and pilgrimage sites at the same time, and this will lead to traffic jams on roads, long queues, and hours on the road. The major temples that are covered in this heli tourism circuit are shown below. These places are located within 150-200 km of Nashik. Therefore, traveling by helicopter will reduce travel time considerably. The planned heli tourism circuit will connect places like.
- Nashik: Ramkund and other bathing sites in Nashik and Kumbh Mela grounds
- Trimbakeshwar: Kushavarta Ghat, Trimbakeshwar Temple (helicopter travel takes only 10 minutes)
- Shirdi Sai Baba Temple (80 km from Nashik)
- Shani Shingnapur (100 km from Nashik)
- Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple
- Ajanta Caves
- Ellora Caves
- Grishneshwar Temple
Heli Routes and Timings
The heli tourism services are expected to be on the following routes, and the timings and duration are given.
- Nashik Trimbakeshwar: Multiple departures per day. 10 minutes by flight.
- Nashik Shirdi: Daily services. 30 minutes by flight.
- Nashik Shani Shingnapur: 25 minutes by flight.
- Full Circuit (Nashik – Trimbakeshwar – Shirdi – Shani Shingnapur – Nashik): Half day by flight
Heli Tourism – A Grand Initiative
The government is investing heavily to make Nashik Kumbh Mela into a roaring success. According to estimates, more than ₹15,000 crore is being invested into developing the necessary infrastructure for the upcoming Nashik Kumbh Mela 2026. The funds will be used to develop key areas like Crowd Management, Connectivity and Transport, Roads, and infrastructure development. Land is being identified near the key attractions and is being developed for building helipads and upgrading the existing ones.
Heli Tourism – an aerial solution
The huge influx of tourists during the Nashik Kumbh Mela 2026 is going to be a huge reason for heli tourism. According to estimates, at least 30-40 million visitors are expected to participate in the Nashik Kumbh Mela 2026. The twenty-month period from October 31, 2026 to July 24, 2028 is going to see a huge influx of tourists. Notable days and tithis like Amrit Snan, Nagar Pradakshina, and festivals are especially important days when tourists are expected to visit Nashik and take a holy bath at Ramkund and other ghats on the banks of the Godavari River. As the roads will be crowded, the helicopter services will ease the traffic to an extent, and travellers can avoid the busy roads.
Expected costs of heli services
The expected costs of taking the heli services are shown below. Remember that these are only initial estimates of cost, and exact prices will be revealed later when the information is available.
- Nashik Trimbakeshwar: INR 3000 – 6000 per person
- Nashik Shirdi: INR 5000 – 10000 per person
- Full Circuit: INR 15000 – 30000 per person
Heli Service Operators
- MTDC official website (https://maharashtratourism.gov.in/)
- Official Nashik Kumbh Mela web portal
- Third-party travel portals like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip