Angels Of Tourism: Blending History With Adventure; Shraddha Utekar

When Shraddha Utekar, a resident of Konkan’s Choravane, moved to Mumbai several years ago, she missed her village, where she could walk by the mountains and trek to forts in the neighbourhood. Despite this, the adventurer in her ensured that she explored the forts and hills around the crammed megacity and in Maharashtra. 

In 2019, she decided to start Sahyadri Sanjivani, a community that gives city dwellers a dose of heritage, fused with adventure. “I felt it was important that people should not only know the historic richness while trekking at various valleys, mountains and forts, but also add an adrenaline factor to it,” explains the 27-year-old founder.

Since then, she has been taking enthusiasts on valley crossing and rappelling expeditions at Jivdhan Fort, climbing and rappelling at Bhairavgad fort, jungle trekking, camping, and boating at Vasota fort, ziplining at Lingana fort, and similar adrenaline-inducing activities at several other locations across Maharashtra. 

“I have taken hundreds of people on these treks, and they are quite committed to learning the location’s historic and cultural significance. But making it fun by adding a few adventure activities has been widely appreciated,” shares the young entrepreneur, who now has a big team as operations scaled up.  

A lot of the places in the state where she takes trekkers are remote and far-flung from main cities. Going a step further, she has been mingling with the locals to inform them about the necessity of getting an education for their children for better employment options. “A few times a year, we also donate education materials and home essentials in some villages around the trek locations,” she shares.   

Onkar Oak, Director, Maha Adventure Council and rescue coordinator, shares, “In the field of adventure and adventure tourism, which has primarily been a male-dominating one, Shraddha has left a huge mark. Her work doesn't focus on money-making treks, but on facilitating lesser known places in Maharashtra and how to make the entire experience for the participants more interesting.”