'Show us the Ketan Siya spot', Pune's Lohagad Fort sees 25% rise in visitors after Ketan Agarwal murder case
Total Views |
The murder of Ketan Agarwal remains in the national spotlight, with its effects rippling out well beyond legal proceedings. In the wake of the high-profile case, Maharashtra's historic Lohagad Fort has seen tourist numbers climb sharply, as visitors flock to view the spot where the crime occurred.
Lohagad Fort has traditionally ranked among Maharashtra's top heritage attractions, pulling in lakhs of visitors annually, with weekend and holiday crowds usually ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 people a day. Locals now say similar numbers are showing up even on weekdays, largely driven by interest in the so-called "Siya Point."
A fort with over 2,000 years of history: Set in the Sahyadri range near Lonavala in Pune district, Lohagad Fort ranks among Maharashtra's best-known trekking spots. Its name means "Iron Fort," a nod to its sturdy build, and its history stretches back almost two millennia, with its earliest construction thought to date to the Satavahana era.
Situated in Maharashtra's Maval region, the fort sits roughly 11 kilometres from Lonavala and about 60 kilometres from Pune. Malavli is the closest railway station, making it the easiest gateway for those travelling to the monument.
A News18 report indicates that the fort has logged a rise of nearly 25% in footfall since the case broke. The site has unofficially been dubbed "Siya Point," after accused Siya Goyal, who, along with her boyfriend Chetan Chaudhary, stands accused of pushing Agarwal off the fort during a visit near Pune.
This morbid curiosity around the crime scene has turned it into one of the fort's top draws. Visitors reportedly ask security staff and other tourists to point them toward the exact spot where the incident happened, and the once-popular trekking spot has effectively become a hub of public fascination.
Lohagad Fort has traditionally ranked among Maharashtra's top heritage attractions, pulling in lakhs of visitors annually, with weekend and holiday crowds usually ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 people a day. Locals now say similar numbers are showing up even on weekdays, largely driven by interest in the so-called "Siya Point."
This spike in tourism has triggered concern among those working to preserve the site. Sachin Tekawade of the Lohagad Visapur Vikas Manch criticised how the fort's identity has become entangled with the murder case, describing the crime as both shocking and unfortunate, and noting how troubling it was that something like this occurred at a site of such deep historical and cultural value. He also flagged worry over the spread of memes and jokes about the fort online, cautioning that turning the tragedy into a joke risks tarnishing the monument's reputation further.
A fort with over 2,000 years of history: Set in the Sahyadri range near Lonavala in Pune district, Lohagad Fort ranks among Maharashtra's best-known trekking spots. Its name means "Iron Fort," a nod to its sturdy build, and its history stretches back almost two millennia, with its earliest construction thought to date to the Satavahana era.
Situated in Maharashtra's Maval region, the fort sits roughly 11 kilometres from Lonavala and about 60 kilometres from Pune. Malavli is the closest railway station, making it the easiest gateway for those travelling to the monument.