The Saputara Monsoon Festival 2026 began on Saturday with Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi inaugurating the event. The festival will continue till August 29 and will showcase Gujarat’s natural beauty, tribal culture and local traditions.
The festival offers visitors a variety of attractions, including an ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’-themed parade, music and cultural programmes, tribal art and craft workshops, nature trails, adventure activities, rain dance, selfie points and local food.
Speaking at the inauguration, Sanghavi said Saputara is not just Gujarat’s popular hill station but also reflects the rich tribal culture and natural diversity of the Dang district. He said the monsoon season adds to Saputara’s beauty and attracts tourists from across the country.
Sanghavi also highlighted the festival’s contribution to the local economy. He said tourism provides income to hotels, taxi operators, guides, women’s self-help groups, artisans, farmers and small traders. The festival also gives local artists and artisans an opportunity to showcase their work.
According to Sanghavi, around 2.61 lakh tourists visited Saputara during the 2025 Monsoon Festival. More than 1.43 lakh visitors used boating facilities, while around 290 stalls selling handicrafts and traditional products recorded sales of about Rs 1.57 crore.
Tourism Minister Jairam Gamit said the Saputara Monsoon Festival, launched in 2009, has become an important platform to promote the tribal culture, folk art and handicrafts of the Dang region.
Gamit said Saputara attracted around 14.67 lakh tourists in 2025, showing the growing popularity of the hill station. He also highlighted the Gujarat government’s allocation of Rs 3,090 crore under Gujarat Tourism Year for developing tourism, pilgrimage sites and civil aviation.
After the inauguration, a cultural programme featured 110 artists from 13 states. They performed dances based on National Award-winning choreography, while local artists presented traditional Dangi dance performances.
The event was attended by local representatives, senior government officials, artists from different parts of the country and a large number of tourists.