Diwali Killa Exhibition at Sambhaji Udyan: Free Entry Till November 12 for Kids’ Sinhagad, Rajgad Replicas
PMC’s 32nd Diwali fort-making competition and exhibition at Sambhaji Udyan on JM Road has children’s replicas of Sinhagad, Rajgad and sea forts. Entry is free.
Photo: Shrutuja Shirke / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 8th November 2026: Children’s clay-and-stone replicas of Sinhagad, Rajgad and the sea forts Padmadurg and Suvarnadurg are on show at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan on Jangli Maharaj Road, as part of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s 32nd Diwali fort competition and exhibition. Entry is free.
The exhibition opened on Thursday, November 5, Pudhari reported. It is organised by PMC’s Garden Department and Tree Authority.
Dates, timings and entry
A poster shared by Pune page @beingpunekarofficial lists the exhibition from November 5 to 12, open from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm, with free entry. The post had about 16,800 likes by Saturday, and several people in the comments asked for the location, which is the Sambhaji Udyan next to Balgandharva Rangmandir.
- Venue: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan, Jangli Maharaj Road, Shivajinagar
- Dates: November 5 to 12, 2026 (as per the organisers’ poster)
- Timings: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
- Entry: free
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Post: @beingpunekarofficial on Instagram
What you will see
The forts are built by school students, groups of friends and youth clubs. Pudhari spoke to children building a Sinhagad replica who had made Rajgad last year, two Class 6 students working on Padmadurg, and a group that studied the walls, gates and bastions of Suvarnadurg before dividing the work.
A reel by local page @pune_browser walks past a model hill fort with red-roofed buildings and ramparts, with the on-screen line “show this fort exhibition to your children, free entry”.
PMC Garden Superintendent Ashok Ghorpade told Pudhari the civic body supplies soil, bricks and stones to the participants, and that children have taken part with great enthusiasm.
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Video: @pune_browser on Instagram
A Diwali tradition since 1992
Building a killa in the courtyard is an old Diwali custom in Maharashtra homes, a way for children to learn about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s forts. PMC has run this competition at Sambhaji Udyan every Diwali since 1992, with entry groups for school students, institutions and an open category.
Last year’s 31st edition ran from October 17 to 26, 2025, and had more than 50 forts.
How to get there
The Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan metro station on the Aqua Line is right next to the garden. On Sunday, November 8, Lakshmi Pujan, Pune Metro runs only till 8 pm, so plan the return trip. See our Lakshmi Pujan metro timings.
Parking on JM Road is limited in the evening. The metro, a PMPML bus to Deccan or a short auto ride from Shivajinagar is easier.
More fort events this Diwali
Earlier this week, thousands built miniature forts from natural soil at Killotsav 2026 in Sarasbaug. From November 9 to 16, a free light and sound show on the siege of Panhala will run at New English School, Ramanbaug, Punekar News reported.
If the replicas make your children want to see the real thing, our guide to forts near Pune covers Sinhagad, Rajgad, Torna and more.
The date for the prize results had not been announced when this story was published. We will update it when PMC shares them.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the killa exhibition in Pune in 2026?
At Chhatrapati Sambhaji Udyan on Jangli Maharaj Road, Shivajinagar, next to Balgandharva Rangmandir.
Is there an entry fee for the Sambhaji Udyan fort exhibition?
No. The organisers’ poster lists free entry, from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm.
Till when is the PMC killa exhibition open?
Till November 12, 2026, according to the organisers’ poster.
