Let there be light: Going to see fireflies? Here's how you can be a responsible tourist this season

Fireflies light up on a tree in Bhandardara. PIC COURTESY/MISCHIEF TREKS

If you've ever had a slow day on a tiger safari in the jungles of India, you'll recognise this familiar consolation from your guide: You might not have seen a tiger today, but a tiger definitely saw you. In Maharashtra's nearly 18 firefly sites this mating season, the equation is reversed. You'll most definitely see the fireflies; hundreds of them. Whether they really want to see you, is an entirely different matter.

Digvijay Rathore

Every year in May, hordes of tourists chase the spectacle in spots like Bhandardara, Rajmachi, and Kothaligad. Way too many, if you ask trek leader Digvijay Rathore, who started leading small batches to the fireflies in 2014, nearly two years before ‘Firefly Festival' became a social media buzzword.

"Every year, there are new Instagram-based groups that offer increasingly cheaper, flashier claims," he rues, admitting that he is running his small-batch trails at a loss this year. "I'd rather run at a loss than destroy habitat," he admits.

What harms the fireflies?

Lights: With visitors choosing to go solo, headlights from cars and flash photography adds to light pollution. Opt for group buses, and turn off your torches in the area.

A small batch of visitors is ideal for fireflies sighting

Sounds: No honking, and leave your speakers at home. The vibrations can disrupt the insects' mating behaviour.

Fire: Bonfires and open, live barbecue dinners have no place in the firefly sites. The smoke drives fireflies away.

Encroachment: Fireflies can perch on trees nearly six feet above the ground. Entering the perimeter of the tree can trample eggs, and fireflies resting under the tree.

Did You Know?

Fireflies live in the observation sites all year long. They only light up during the mating season between summer and monsoon. Any disruption to the mating ritual, hence, affects two generations of fireflies.

Spot the red flags

>> Organisers who allow more than 20-25 members at once
>> Plans that include campfire music nights and open-air barbecues
>> Claims of an ‘exclusive close look' at the fireflies

At a glance

2012 Kajwa Mahotsav (Fireflies Festival) opens to the public in sites like Bhandardara.

2018 Google Maps usage becomes widespread. Tourists choose to go solo without guidance.

2020 Instagram launches reels. Influencers present the firefly sites as perfect photoshoot locations.

2024 Ambarish More, who organised one of the first firefly festivals around Bhandardara, appeals to the State Government to end it.

Official Speak

A traffic jam enroute the Bhandardara fireflies site. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM

According to Krishna Bhavar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Nashik, the Forest Department is implementing measures such as

Time limit: Entry is permitted between 6 pm and 9 pm. At 10 pm, all tourists are removed from the sites

Parking space: Official parking areas are limited to 400 spots a day

Supervision: Nearly 100 volunteers keep an eye out for unlawful activities from 50 metres away

Check posts: Two check posts outside the firefly sites check vehicles for banned items

Do it right

These ethically planned trails have small batches and strictly implement forest rules

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