Maharashtra Opens Its First Honey Park in Mahabaleshwar

Maharashtra has launched its first-ever Honey Park in Mahabaleshwar, marking a big step in honey production and rural industry development. The Madhuban project, a joint effort by Everest Industries Group and the Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board, is set up on three acres within the Honey Directorate.

What’s Inside the Honey Park?

Built with a ₹6 lakh CSR investment, the park includes:
✅ 30 beehives
✅ Honey collection and processing machines
✅ Swarm nets & queen bee breeding tools
✅ Pollen traps & bee whales

The park is designed to educate farmers, beekeepers, students, and tourists about honey production through live demonstrations.

Future Plans & Expansion

The government aims to develop the Honey Directorate in Mahabaleshwar into a leading honey research center. Another Madhuban Honey Park has already been set up in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, to provide similar learning experiences.

Since Mahabaleshwar has many monkeys and heavy monsoons, special care has been taken to grow enough nectar-producing flowers for bees. However, there is a shortage of workers. To solve this, local tribal women will be trained and employed, creating new job opportunities.

India’s First Honey Village – Manghar

This initiative follows the success of Maharashtra’s first “honey village” in Manghar (near Mahabaleshwar), launched in May 2022. A second honey village was later opened in Patgaon, Kolhapur.

Manghar, surrounded by dense forests and flowering plants year-round, has become a hub for beekeeping. 80% of its residents are involved in honey production, making it a model village for the industry. The village attracts over a million visitors annually, boosting the local economy.

Mahabaleshwar, already famous for its strawberries and book village (Bhilar), now adds honey production to its list of unique attractions! 🍯🐝