No Toll For Ganesh Devotees Heading To Konkan: How To Get Free Passes For Atal Setu, Mumbai To Goa & Bengaluru Highways? | India News
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Ganesh Chaturthi Konkan travel: Which highways are covered? How to get the pass? How much does it cost? News18 explains.
The exact same pass will remain valid for your return trip as well.
Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, the Maharashtra government has exempted Konkan-bound vehicles from paying toll charges from September 11, 2026, to September 27, 2026.
Which highways are covered? How to get the pass? News18 explains.
Where to get the pass?
The dedicated toll-waiver sticker/pass is available completely free of cost. You can collect it from the following local authorities:
Local Police Stations
Traffic Police Checkposts
Regional Transport Offices (RTOs)
How to obtain the pass?
- Visit your nearest police station, traffic chowkie, or RTO office.
- Fill out a simple application form providing your travel schedule and vehicle information.
- You must provide the Vehicle Registration Number and the Driver’s/Owner’s Name.
- After quick verification, the authorities will issue an official sticker/pass inscribed with “Ganeshotsav 2026 Konkan Darshan”.
- Affix the sticker clearly onto the front windscreen of your vehicle before starting your journey.
Points to Remember
Valid for Return Journey: The exact same pass will remain valid for your return trip as well. Make sure to keep it intact on your windshield until you return.
Eligible Routes: The waiver is valid at toll plazas along the Mumbai–Goa National Highway (NH-66), Mumbai–Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48), Atal Setu (Sewri–Nhava Sheva), and all other major state highways managed by the PWD and MSRDC leading into the Konkan region.
Exemption for MSRTC Buses: State transport (MSRTC) buses carrying devotees to Konkan from various districts are also fully exempt from these toll charges.
Why lakhs of Ganesh devotees travel to Konkan
People travel to the Konkan region for the Ganesh festival (Ganeshotsav) primarily because it is the ultimate annual homecoming and a deeply rooted cultural tradition. Known locally as the festival of the Chakaramani, a colloquial term for Konkan natives who migrated to cities like Mumbai and Pune for work, this period sees lakhs of people emptying out of major urban centers to return to their ancestral villages.
The mass migration is so significant that the government routinely deploys thousands of special buses, hundreds of special trains, and even waives highway toll fees to accommodate the massive rush.
Unlike Mumbai or Pune, which are world-famous for massive public pandals, Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, Konkan is celebrated for its intimate, household Ganpatis. The journey itself, whether via the scenic Konkan Railway or the Mumbai-Goa highway, takes travelers through lush green ghats, overflowing waterfalls, and misty paddy fields. It provides city dwellers a much-needed escape back to nature.
With agency, News18 Marathi inputs
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Ask News18The Maharashtra government has exempted Konkan-bound vehicles from paying toll charges from September 11, 2026, to September 27, 2026.
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