Gandhi Sagar Forest Retreat has opened its fifth edition in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district, combining luxury glamping, water sports, adventure activities, wildlife experiences and cultural programming around the backwaters of the Gandhi Sagar reservoir.
The retreat, located along the dam’s backwaters, includes a luxury tent city with 50 cottages and tents. According to a Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board official cited by the Times of India, the accommodation is designed around glamping, a format that combines outdoor experiences with hotel-style amenities.
The latest edition opened on Thursday and is scheduled to run until October 14, 2027. The programme is built around the reservoir landscape, with visitors able to take part in activities on land, in the air and on the water.
Land-based activities include high-rope courses, ziplining, all-terrain vehicle rides, cycling, tandem cycling and air-gun shooting. Paramotoring offers an aerial view of the reservoir, while water-based options include speedboats, jet skis, banana boats, dragon boats and kayaks.
The retreat also includes jungle safaris, night walks, boat safaris, stargazing, boat spas, yoga and indoor games. Evening cultural programmes feature Madhya Pradesh’s folk arts, traditional life and regional cuisine, allowing the destination to present itself as more than an adventure-sports venue.
The development represents an effort to build a destination economy around Gandhi Sagar rather than treating the reservoir only as a water body or engineering asset. Since the retreat was launched in 2023, it has helped position Gandhi Sagar as a national adventure-tourism destination, according to the report.
That positioning brings together accommodation, transport-linked visitor movement, recreation and cultural programming within one managed destination. It also creates a model in which the natural setting is used as the central attraction while visitor facilities provide the comfort and services required for longer stays.
For the surrounding region, the retreat’s significance lies in the economic activity generated by visitors. The Times of India report said the project has brought visitors, spending and employment to an area better known for its river than for a developed tourism itinerary. The supplied report does not provide visitor numbers, investment figures or employment data.
The site’s operating model also places several forms of recreation within the same landscape. Adventure activities, safaris, wellness offerings and cultural events are being presented as a combined experience, potentially extending the time visitors spend at the destination rather than limiting trips to a single attraction.
The fifth edition will continue until October 14, 2027, with the tented accommodation, outdoor activities, safaris and evening cultural programmes forming the core of the visitor offering.
