Govt clears Rs 2,267 crore for acquiring 191 acres to develop Sadhugram in Tapovan

Nashik: State govt on Friday approved Rs 2,267 crore for acquiring 191.2 acres to develop Sadhugram at Tapovan in Nashik, in a major step towards preparations for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.The urban development department issued a govt resolution (GR) formalising the approval of a proposal submitted by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) last Dec through the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA). This came after clearance was granted by a high-level state committee led by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on May 13.Sadhugram is the designated settlement area for sadhus during the Kumbh Mela. Of the 377 acres identified as a no-development zone for this purpose, 94 acres are already with NMC, while the remaining land has yet to be acquired.The civic body plans to procure around 191 acres through direct purchase by negotiating with landowners under the district-level compensation rate determination committee. A meeting of this committee, chaired by the Nashik district collector, was held on March 4, 2026, to finalise compensation rates. According to the GR, differences between rates proposed by NMC and those outlined in the revenue and forest department guidelines will be resolved before final approval.Officials had earlier indicated that about Rs 2,267 crore would be needed for the acquisition. Govt has now sanctioned the amount, which will be released to the NTKMA as required.Authorities are planning a major expansion of Sadhugram for the upcoming Kumbh, with the overall development expected to span nearly 1,450 acres. Around 1,150 acres will be temporarily requisitioned to accommodate the anticipated surge in the number of sadhus.The expansion is driven by projections that more than 10 lakh sadhus may attend the next Kumbh, compared to around 2.5 lakh in 2015, when Sadhugram covered nearly 350 acres. Officials said timely land acquisition was crucial to ensure adequate infrastructure and facilities for the large-scale religious gathering.