Nagpur: The historic Sitabuldi Fort witnessed an unprecedented surge of visitors on Independence Day, with nearly 45,000 people flocking to the iconic monument on Saturday, making it the highest-ever recorded footfall during a single public opening of the fort. The overwhelming turnout transformed the heritage site into a sea of humanity, with stampede-like congestion witnessed at several locations as thousands of people attempted to enter and explore the fort during the limited visiting hours.
The massive crowd far exceeded the previous record of 27,256 visitors registered when the fort was opened to the public on Republic Day earlier this year, underlining the growing public interest in one of Nagpur’s most significant historical landmarks.
The Sitabuldi Fort, which remains under the control of the Indian Army and is opened to the public only on Republic Day and Independence Day, attracted visitors from across Nagpur and neighbouring districts. Families, students, senior citizens and groups of youngsters began arriving early in the morning, resulting in long queues that extended from the railway gate towards the fort.
As the day progressed, the rush intensified, with thousands of visitors moving simultaneously through the designated entry and exit routes. Narrow pathways inside the fort became heavily congested at several points, leading to bottlenecks and stampede-like situations. Many visitors were forced to wait for long periods before gaining entry, while movement inside the premises slowed considerably because of the unprecedented crowd.
To manage the heavy rush, the Indian Army deployed its personnel along with the Military Police, Nagpur Police and NCC cadets at strategic locations throughout the fort. Security personnel continuously regulated the movement of visitors, guided queues and ensured that people moved in an orderly manner through the designated route.
Authorities had also made elaborate arrangements to deal with any emergency. Medical teams and ambulances were stationed near the entry and exit points, while volunteers remained on alert throughout the day to assist visitors. Despite the extraordinary footfall, no major untoward incident was reported.
The festive atmosphere remained vibrant throughout the day. Patriotic songs played through the public address system echoed across the fort, with many visitors enthusiastically singing along. Several groups waved the Tricolour, clicked photographs and selfies against the backdrop of the historic fortifications, while some visitors even broke into spontaneous dances, adding to the celebratory mood.
For many citizens, the rare opportunity to enter the historic fort was worth enduring the long queues and heavy crowd. Visitors expressed pride in experiencing a monument closely associated with Nagpur's history and India's military heritage.
One visitor, who had arrived with a group of ten friends, said the fort should be opened to the public more frequently. He remarked that every visit strengthened his sense of pride in Nagpur's rich heritage and suggested that opening the fort on additional days each year would not only enable more people to explore the landmark but also help reduce the massive rush witnessed during Independence Day and Republic Day.
The record turnout once again highlighted the enduring public fascination with Sitabuldi Fort and reinforced growing calls from citizens for more frequent public access to one of the city's most treasured historical sites.
