How reels are sending crowds & chaos to ‘hidden gems' of Maharashtra

Time of India

9 hours ago

Pune: It was a sunny Sunday when the bridge at Kund Mala collapsed under the weight of its own popularity.
The bridge, once a quiet and convenient passage for locals to cross the Indrayani River, became an unlikely influencer darling with its arching silhouette and gushing waters starring in countless Instagram reels labelled 'Maharashtra's hidden gem'.
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The incident exposed a growing pattern playing out across the state, where obscure natural and heritage sites are being thrust into the digital spotlight, only to be swamped by selfie-chasing visitors, many of whom are woefully unprepared for the risks these locations pose.
Social media, especially short-form video platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts, has turned the act of travel into a performance.
The so-called hidden gems that once attracted only intrepid explorers are now being overrun by crowds armed with ring lights, drones, and a curated vision of solitude their audiences will likely never find.
Kund Mala is only the latest casualty.
In July last year, Aanvi Kamdar 926), a social media influencer from Mumbai, died after falling 300ft from a hillock near Kumbhe waterfall. Last June, five people drowned in the infamous Bhushi dam in Lonavla.
"These reels are misleading," said Sneha Deshpande, a freelance photographer from the city who visited Kund Mala recently after seeing reels touting it as a peaceful riverside escape.
"I was expecting birdsong and water sounds. Instead, I got bluetooth speakers, people changing outfits behind bushes, and a man doing push-ups on the bridge while someone filmed him. It was ridiculous," she said.
These are not isolated stories.
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Amit Bikchukle, a city-based adventure travel planner, said, "The demand for treks and visits to places like Kund Mala increased fivefold after the Covid-19 pandemic. Although it is good business, we had to tell people not to visit these spots on weekends. If they are looking for a serene spot as shown on social media, they will be disappointed with the crowds."
The reel-driven boom is as chaotic as it is lucrative. Tourist boards haven't caught up, local authorities are underprepared, and basic infrastructure such as parking, toilets and safety signage, is either missing or overwhelmed.
"People come here expecting magic. But the magic is seen on reels because of filters, effects and heavy editing. In reality, visitors get heat, queues and a desperate rush to get content before the sunlight fades," said Rahul Mahajan, a trek leader.
And what visitors often don't get is safety. "The problem is that people don't just come to enjoy, they come to perform. During this, they trample over fragile ecosystems, destroy peace, and often hurt themselves," said Mahajan.
From Vasota Fort to Sandhan Valley, from Thoseghar waterfall to Devkund, the list of Maharashtra's formerly quiet escapes being 'discovered' by the algorithm is growing, and so is the pressure on these places to entertain a digital audience that may never return after the post. What's left behind is erosion, trash, risk and the hollow echo of what used to be a hidden gem.