Pugdundee Safaris has announced the second edition of its Mahua Festival, running from April 1 to 5, 2026, across five of its jungle lodges in Central India: Kings Lodge and Tree House Hideaway in Bandhavgarh, Kanha Earth Lodge in Kanha, Pench Tree Lodge in Pench, and Denwa Backwater Escape in Satpura.
The festival is built around the Mahua tree, a species of deep cultural and ecological significance to Adivasi communities across Central India’s forest belts. Each spring, Mahua blossoms are gathered at dawn by women from local communities and dried for use throughout the year in food, traditional medicine and ritual. The festival brings this living tradition into the guest experience through foraging walks, forest-to-table cooking sessions, natural craft workshops and evening storytelling, all curated in collaboration with forest food consultant Chef Harshita Kakwani.
Each participating lodge will offer a limited-edition Mahua-inspired menu reflecting regional culinary traditions, alongside opportunities to visit local markets and observe the morning flower collection firsthand.
For travel advisors, the festival offers a meaningful experiential add-on for clients visiting Central India’s wildlife reserves in early April, combining safari with genuine cultural immersion.
