Abhay Bhutada Foundation Brings Free Cultural Access to Shivsrushti
The Abhay Bhutada Foundation has announced a summer initiative that focuses on widening access to cultural learning by offering free entry to Shivsrushti for women and students. Under the leadership of CA Abhay Bhutada, this step is aimed at making historical experiences more approachable for families.
By removing the entry cost for a defined period, the initiative ensures that more people can visit, learn, and engage with India’s history in an interactive setting.
A Limited-Period Free Entry Initiative
From May 1 to June 27, 2026, women and students under the age of 18 can enter Shivsrushti without paying any fee. The destination, centred around the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, offers visitors a detailed and engaging journey through history.
Through a mix of storytelling, exhibits, and interactive formats, Shivsrushti allows visitors to experience key historical moments in a more direct way. The free access initiative makes it easier for families to include such visits in their summer plans.
To manage visitor flow, structured booking options are available for parents and guardians. This ensures that the experience remains organised and accessible during peak holiday periods.
Encouraging Wider Participation
One of the key outcomes of this initiative is the opportunity it creates for families to spend time in a meaningful setting. For many, entry costs can be a limiting factor when planning outings. By removing this barrier, the Abhay Bhutada Foundation is encouraging more families to visit.
Children benefit by engaging with history beyond classroom learning, while parents are able to share these experiences without financial strain. This approach helps bring more people into cultural spaces and increases overall participation.
The initiative also highlights the importance of making such destinations inclusive, ensuring that access is not restricted to a smaller section of society.
Strengthening an Ongoing Effort
This move builds on earlier support provided by the Foundation towards Shivsrushti. In 2025, the Abhay Bhutada Foundation contributed INR 50 lakh, followed by an additional INR 75 lakh.
These contributions were used to reduce ticket prices to INR 50 for a limited time. The impact was clear, with more than 1.5 lakh visitors attending during that phase. The increase in footfall showed how affordability can directly influence participation.
With this year’s initiative, the Foundation has taken the next step by removing the cost entirely for women and children, making access even wider.
Statement from CA Abhay Bhutada
Sharing his thoughts, CA Abhay Bhutada said, “Our continued support to Shivsrushti is driven by a simple objective: To make cultural learning more accessible. After seeing the strong response last year, we felt it was important to take this a step further by enabling free entry for women and children. We hope this allows more families, particularly mothers and children, to visit during the summer and engage with history in a more experiential and meaningful way.”
The statement reflects a continued focus on improving access and ensuring that more families can take part in such experiences.
Acknowledgement from Shivsrushti
The Shivsrushti team has expressed appreciation for the Foundation’s support, which has made it possible to extend free access to women and children under 18. This has helped create a structured and accessible outing for families during the summer period.
The collaboration between the two reflects a shared objective of bringing more people into
cultural spaces and encouraging them to explore history in an engaging manner.
Key Initiatives by the Abhay Bhutada Foundation
The Abhay Bhutada Foundation has supported a range of initiatives across education, cultural access, and public welfare. In 2024, it provided STEM kits to underprivileged students and partnered with Maheshwari Vidya Pracharak Mandal (MVPM) for scholarships. In 2025, it contributed INR 51 lakh and an additional INR 75 lakh to the Shivsrushti project, helping improve access, donated advanced equipment to strengthen the Pune Police, and contributed INR 5 crore to the CM Relief Fund. It has also sponsored Lokmat Mahagames across Maharashtra during 2025–2026.
These efforts reflect a consistent approach towards improving access, supporting public systems, and encouraging participation in educational and cultural activities.
About the Abhay Bhutada Foundation
Founded in 2023, the Abhay Bhutada Foundation works across education, community development, and cultural access. Its initiatives are designed to create lasting impact through planned and structured efforts.
The Foundation is fully funded by CA Abhay Bhutada, ensuring continuity in its work. Within a short time, its initiatives have reached a large number of people across Maharashtra.
Conclusion
The free entry initiative at Shivsrushti for women and students highlights the Abhay Bhutada Foundation’s continued effort to improve access to cultural experiences. By removing financial barriers, it allows more families to take part in meaningful outings. Building on earlier contributions, this step shows how increased accessibility can lead to greater participation and engagement with history.
FAQs
1. What is the purpose of the Abhay Bhutada Foundation?
The Abhay Bhutada Foundation focuses on education, community support, and improving access to cultural and learning experiences.
2. Who leads the Abhay Bhutada Foundation?
CA Abhay Bhutada is the founder and chairman, and fully funds its initiatives.
3. What areas does the Foundation work in?
The Foundation supports projects in education, sports, cultural access, and public support systems to improve participation and access.
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