Nashik’s temple town Trimbakeshwar unveils Rs 1,100 crore plan to enhance infrastructure for pilgrims ahead of Simhastha Kumbh

Nashik: Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council has proposed a comprehensive Rs 1,100 crore Simhastha development plan to tackle various civic issues in the temple town.
The proposal, which prioritizes infrastructure development for religious and other tourists, was presented to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during his visit to the temple on Sunday.
"The town has narrow roads that cannot be widened considering the residential buildings around. The roads are used by pilgrims, vehicles, and regular visitors from the surrounding areas, creating chaos for everybody. Through the plan, we are developing a corridor (darshan path) and nature trails that will be used by pilgrims to visit the temple shrine along with other old temples and kund (water ponds) that will be rejuvenated," said Shreeya Devchakke, chief officer, Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council.
The temple town spans 1.75 sq km and is enclosed by hills on three sides.
The darshan path is an integrated complex that will have a waiting hall for around 8,000 pilgrims, with benches, drinking water, lavatories, water fountains, murals, etc. Additionally, three nature trails are being established to enable pilgrims to explore rejuvenated ponds and temples while walking through dense plantations. The plan includes a place for parking.
The town, a taluka with around 15,000 residents, receives over 20,000 pilgrims daily. This puts pressure on the existing infrastructure regarding water and sanitation. The proposal incorporates an enhanced water supply scheme to accommodate pilgrims throughout the year, particularly during shravan, Mahashivratri, Sant Nivruttinath Yatra, and simhastha, when daily visitors exceed 400,000. There is a need for sewage treatment plant and solid waste management, apart from construction of more public lavatories.
The administration plans to develop areas near Jawhar Phata, with basic amenities in place, to reduce congestion in the temple town.