Tourism department plans eight info centres, 150 guides for Kumbh Mela ’27

Nashik: With Nashik gearing up to host the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2027, the state tourism department has drawn up an action plan to strengthen visitor facilitation by setting up eight tourist information centres across the city and deploying around 150 trained tourist guides during the religious congregation.According to the officials, the initiative aims to help the expected millions of pilgrims and tourists navigate the city better and explore key religious, cultural and heritage destinations in Nashik district and nearby regions during the Kumbh period.The proposed tourist information centres will serve as single-window facilities providing comprehensive details about major tourist attractions, accommodation options, transport connectivity and schedules of trains and buses, besides information related to local travel and facilities.The centres are planned at strategic high-footfall locations, including Nashik Road railway station, major parking hubs and the city airport, among other crowded areas.In addition, the tourism department has decided to deploy 150 guides, who will be stationed across Nashik city and Trimbakeshwar to assist the visitors. These guides will offer information on prominent temples, ghats, heritage sites, cultural landmarks and other places of interest during the Kumbh Mela.Speaking to TOI, Nandakumar Raut, deputy director of the directorate of tourism (DOT), said the department has already finalised the list of 150 guides for the Kumbh Mela."These guides will be trained by a Guwahati-based institute along with subject experts from Maharashtra to ensure they are well-versed in local history, religious significance and tourism-related information," he said.Raut added that the deployment of trained guides is expected to not only assist the pilgrims, but also to promote tourism in Nashik beyond the Kumbh Mela."The guides will help visitors plan trips to nearby destinations and raise awareness about Nashik's cultural, religious and heritage wealth," he said.