As Diwali coincided with the weekend and beyond, there was a heavy rush at tourist spots across Pune district like Mahabaleshwar, Lonavla and various forts even as hotel rates at these destinations witnessed a hike. The extended weekend starting November 11 saw Punekars making plans to visit tourist spots including Mahabaleshwar, Lonavla, Kolhapur, Konkan and the various forts in Pune district.
Suryakant Jadhav, vice-president, Mahabaleshwar Hotel Owners’ Association, said, “Mahabaleshwar was crowded over the weekend, especially the waterfalls and Vena Lake. Also, many people visited old Mahabaleshwar to soak in the scenic beauty of Bhushi Dam and other places. Even the hotel rates went up by 40% as compared to usual off-season rates.”
Keshav Jamage, owner of a three-star hotel in Mahabaleshwar, said, “All 24 of our rooms were booked for the last five days and hotel accommodation rates saw a hike. There was a heavy rush of tourists from all over Maharashtra and other states to enjoy the long weekend.”
Sachin Tandale, manager at a private resort in Lonavla, said, “There were huge celebrations at tourist spots in Lonavla, and there was a heavy rush of tourists coming from Pune and Mumbai. The whole of Lonavla and its tourist spots were packed with public.”
Shailesh Kshirsagar, a citizen, said, “We visited the Konkan belt and nearby places of pilgrimage with the family for the last four days as there were continuous holidays till Wednesday. We started our journey on Saturday morning and had done the hotel bookings for the next four days in advance to avoid any problems.”
The ghat section of the Pune-Mumbai expressway saw traffic jams as many people travelled between the two cities over the weekend.
