Religious tourism is a focus area today, not just for the tourism industry per se, but also for the economy and infrastructure of the region. Building a highway from Nagpur to Goa connecting the three Shakti Peethas in Maharashtra is another superb idea of the Infra man Devendra Fadnavis that’ll provide multiple benefits to the connected regions besides making it hugely convenient for the devotees. Starting at Pawanar (Wardha district) this 6-lane access-controlled expressway will pass through Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Konkan and enter north Goa at Patradevi in Sindhudurg district. Patradevi is adjacent to the Maharashtra-Goa border. In tandem with the Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, the Shaktipeeth Mahamarg will further develop these regions. The thought of using the potential of religious tourism to bring investments and economic progress to this belt gave birth to the concept of this Nagpur-Goa Mahamarg in the mind of the visionary leader Devendra Fadnavis, then Dy CM and current CM, who ordered the economic and technical viability reports for the same on 16 September 2022. Accordingly, the Public Works Department conducted a direct study and inspection and finalized its outline in February 2024.
Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Mahamarg (Nagpur-Goa Expressway) will pass directly through 12 districts namely Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and Sindhudurg. Later, it will be connected to the Konkan Expressway on the border of Maharashtra and Goa. This highway will connect major pilgrimage sites and Shaktipeethas in Maharashtra. These include Saptashrungi Devi of Mahur, Tuljabhavani of Tuljapur, Ambabai of Kolhapur, Mahalaxmi, Raja Jyotiba of Dakkhan, Ambajogai, Aundhanagnath and Vaidyanath of Parli, Vitthal-Rakhumai of Pandharpur, Akkalkot, Gangapur, Narsobachi Wadi, Audumbar, etc. This project will bring about a significant change in the overall development of religious sites in the area and the tourism opportunities of the state.
Proposal submitted for approval from the Environment Department
Since the Environment Department’s approval is vital to realize the Shaktipith Mahamarg project, the proposal was sent to the Central and State Environment ministries for approval. Initially, strong protests were staged in Kolhapur and Sangli against the Shaktipith Mahamarg project, however, as of today, protests in Sangli seem to have subdued, with only Kolhapur still continuing. The government is not ready to implement this project due to the opposition of the locals in Kolhapur. There have been efforts by the government to communicate with the people there through the government and public representatives. Also, considering the protests in Kolhapur, the state government has made some changes to the original plan and submitted a new proposal for the Shaktipeeth Expressway route bypassing the Kolhapur district. After the decision to build the Shaktipeeth Mahamarg was made in 2022, a notification was issued regarding the acquisition of land required for this project, following which land acquisition started in many districts. However, after widespread opposition in Kolhapur and Sangli, the notification for land acquisition was withdrawn. But now that the BJP grand alliance has got the people’s mandate in the state once again, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has vowed to push this project by clearing all issues.
What are the features of Shakti Peeth Mahamarg?
The Shaktipeeth Highway is named so as it touches the three Shakti Peethas in Maharashtra, namely Mahur Renukai, Tuljapur Bhavani, and Kolhapur Ambabai besides connecting Saptashrungi. With Features much like the Samruddhi Highway, it will be an 805 km highway from Nagpur to Goa (Nagpur-Goa Expressway). The construction of this highway will cost approximately Rs 85 thousand crore. This route will pass through 12 districts. Due to this highway, the distance from Nagpur to Goa can be covered in just 10 hours instead of 20 to 22 hours. After the completion the Shakipeeth Mahamarg will become the longest highway in the state, surpassing the present longest Samruddhi Highway, passing through 12 districts (Kolhapur via the outer loop) to cause a likely surge of economic growth around its route with rise in the spiritual, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, industrial activities with large employment generation. The expressway is promised to be a high-speed six-lane layout with tunnels, flyovers, interchanges, underpasses, bridges, CCTV, entry and exit points with intelligent management systems, etc. to provide sustainable transportation.
Since this highway will be an end-to-end greenfield expressway, a balance between development and the environment will be maintained. Moreover, due to this highway, there will be no need to enter the congested cities of Pune and Mumbai, which will reduce the traffic between these cities. By reducing the distance and travel time to reach the Shaki Peethas in Maharashtra to less than half and assuring a safe and pleasant driving experience, this expressway is bound to create a good flow of devotees around the year to further impact the local economies. The state government will acquire 8 thousand hectares of land in 12 districts for the Shaktipeeth Expressway route. This land will be acquired under the National Highways Real Estate Act. While purchasing land, the government will provide farmers prices that are double to triple the market price. The groundbreaking ceremony for this highway is expected to be held this year, and the state government has planned to open the highway for traffic by 2032.
Benefits of Shaktipeeth Mahamarg
The Shaktipeeth Highway, providing a much shorter and more convenient route to visit the famous Shaktipeeths in Maharashtra, will have many offshoot roads to branch out to the deeper interiors of the state. As a result, these areas will have better access to educational, health, and other essential services. This will provide new employment opportunities at the local level. Along with small and large industries, agriculture and allied services in these 12 districts will get a boost. Various types of construction will start along the highway. A large number of jobs will be available through hotels, restaurants, petrol pumps, etc. This will help reduce migration to cities. Overall, the Shaktipeeth Mahamarg will not only improve transportation, but will also broaden the social, economic, and cultural horizons for the people of these districts.
This will give a new identity to the inter-state tourism sector. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took stock of the work progress in the various departments in the last hundred days. The Public Works Department has been instructed to make a proper planning and execution schedule for the Shakti Peeth Highway. The way the Sammruddhi Highway has started changing the economic landscape of the connected areas, it has motivated CM Fadnavis to create more such impacts in all of Marathwada through the Shakipeeth Mahamarg.