In a heartwarming step to rescue one of India’s most beloved traditional entertainments, the Maharashtra government has quietly rolled out a special concession: circus companies can now use open government grounds across the state (outside Mumbai city and suburbs) at the same ultra-low rent fixed almost two decades ago – with no future increases.
The decision comes as a lifeline for an industry that has been slowly dying. Animal acts were banned years ago, wrestling arenas inside circus tents were shut down on legal grounds, and then the COVID-19 pandemic kept the shutters down for nearly five continuous years. Thousands of acrobats, clowns, tightrope walkers, trapeze artists and their families – many belonging to generations-old circus communities – were left without livelihoods. With children today more familiar with tigers on Discovery Channel than under a live big top, the magical world of the circus was on the verge of disappearing forever from Maharashtra’s towns and villages.
Recognising that the art form itself was at risk, the Revenue and Forest Department has permanently exempted “circus” from the regular triennial rent hikes that apply to all other temporary uses of government land (fairs, exhibitions, weddings, religious events, etc.).
Under the new policy:
- In municipal corporation areas (except Greater Mumbai): ₹25 per 100 sq.m per day
- In all other areas (smaller towns, rural): ₹10 per 100 sq.m per day
These rates will stay frozen indefinitely – a relief that circus owners say will finally make it possible to plan shows without the fear of sudden cost spikes.
A senior official from the Revenue Department said, “Circus is not just entertainment; for many families it is their only ancestral profession and a living cultural heritage. When everything else failed them – law, pandemic, changing tastes – the government decided the least it could do was give them affordable space to perform and keep the tradition alive.”
Circus artists and owners have welcomed the move with tears and applause. “For the first time in years we can dream of pitching the tent again without calculating if we will go into debt,” said a veteran ringmaster whose family has run a travelling circus for four generations.
With the winter season approaching – traditionally the best time for circus tours in rural and semi-urban Maharashtra – several companies are already contacting district collectors to book grounds. Children in small towns may soon hear the familiar cry once more: “आज सर्कस आहे!”
