Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) conducted the “Pournima Mohatsav” festival recently at ‘Bodhalaksa Dam’ region – a tourist destination near the town of Tiroda in Gondia district. The occasion was graced by renowned conservationist and Marathi writer Maruti Chitampalli who spoke about his literature, poems and love for wildlife. Dilip Gawde, Director of Tourism, Abhimanyu Kale, Managing Director, MTDC and Dinesh Kamble, Chief Accounts Officer, MTDC represented Maharashtra Tourism at the event.
The event was attended by an audience of 300 guests and the town had come alive as Maruti Chitampalli spoke about his latest book “Kesharacha Paus” and his other literary masterpieces. He has been one of the pioneers in Marathi literature and is also known for entertaining wildlife tourists and enthusiasts. Chitampalli has presided over the Literary Conference of Solapur, and has also been honored by many awards like “Vinda Karandikar” award; He is a fine writer, forest scientist, fundraiser, translator and a nature lover.
Gawde said, “Maharashtra is known as the land of scholars, saints, artists and actors as many of the people from the region have succeeded in the fields mentioned above. The main objective of the Pournima Festival is to provide a platform for local artists to showcase their art through the festival and to introduce their traditional art, culture, literature to the tourists.”
Kale added, “The Pournima Festival organized by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is an effort to create awareness and attract more tourists to the region. Every year we organize this event and this year too we have received a great response which motivates us to organise more such events in other parts of Maharashtra as well.”
Over the years, MTDC has played a key role in protecting the multi-faceted culture and heritage of Maharashtra among visitors from across the country and the world. Acting as a nodal agency for tourism, MTDC runs holiday resorts, hotels, motels, restaurants, and produces publicity and promotional material for tourists. MTDC has their properties located in the regions of Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Karla, Malshej Ghat, Panshet, Bhandardara, Shirdi, Harihareshwar, Ganpatipule, Tarkarli, Velneshwar, Kunkeshwar, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Chikaldhara, Tadoba, Nagpur, Bodhalkasa, Wardha, Elephanta, Titwala to name a few.
Maharashtra Tourism organizes festivals at heritage sites and places of historical and tourist attractions in the state. Some of the major festivals and events include the Bird Festival in Pune, Grape Festival at Malshej Ghat, Elephanta Festival in Mumbai, Sarangkheda Chetak Festival, Pournima Mahotsav, cultural programs on weekends, food festivals, etc.
