Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha · Brief
Nashik Kumbh Flag Hoisting: Saturday 31 October 2026
The Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha begins with the flag hoisting (dhwajarohan) on Saturday 31 October 2026. It is reported for 12:02 PM, at Ramkund in Nashik and Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar at the same time.
It is the opening ceremony, not a main bathing day. The three Amrit Snans come in August and September 2027.
Nashik Kumbh kab shuru hoga? Shanivar, 31 October 2026 ko, Ramkund aur Kushavarta par dhwajarohan ke saath.
What the flag hoisting is
The flag hoisting marks the formal start of the Simhastha. Flags are raised at the two bathing centres, Ramkund on the Godavari in Nashik and the Kushavarta kund in Trimbakeshwar, at the same moment. The Kumbh Mela Authority’s plan counts the Kumbh period from this day.
Read what dhwajarohan means for the tradition behind it.
What happens on the day
As reported from the Kumbh Mela Authority’s plans. No official programme notice had been published when we checked on 18 October 2026, so details can change.
- 12:02 PM: the main flag hoisting at Ramkund in Nashik, with a flag raised at Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar at the same time.
- Who is expected: sadhus and mahants of the 13 akharas, religious leaders, public representatives, Union Ministers and senior officials. Reports say President Droupadi Murmu is expected to attend; we found no official confirmation.
- Aarti and programmes: a Godavari aarti by the sadhus and mahants at the ceremony, other official programmes during the day, and an evening Godavari maha aarti with cultural programmes. Large screens are planned for the evening aarti.
- Releases: a postage stamp, the authority’s website and a coffee-table book are to be released as part of the opening programme.
- Getting there: at a review on 16 October 2026, officials planned barricades on the roads to Ramkund, traffic diversions on the routes of VIP movement, parking at several places with a walk from there to Ramkund, and arrangements for visitors at the old Bhaji Patangan and Mhasoba Patangan, as reported by Sakal. The police traffic notice had not been published when we checked. Follow police and mela instructions on the day.
The ceremony sits inside a week of events. As reported, before and after it:
| Date | What is planned |
|---|---|
| Until Saturday 31 October | Ramkund and nearby ghats, from the Ahilyabai Holkar bridge to the Talkuteshwar temple, are closed to devotees so ghat works can be finished. Dashakriya rites continue at set spots. Roads to Ramkund are to be closed in phases. |
| Sunday 25 October | Shankhanad (conch-blowing), planned as a Guinness World Records attempt; the certificate is to be presented at the flag hoisting |
| Friday 30 October | A procession of sadhus (gram parikrama) from Tapovan to Ramkund in the afternoon, ending with an aarti; a joint maha aarti of the Shaiva and Vaishnava akharas at Godaghat on the eve of the flag hoisting |
| Saturday 31 October | Flag hoisting at 12:02 PM, Godavari aarti and evening programmes |
| Sunday 1 November | Closing rituals (purnahuti) and a Godavari aarti |
Where it happens
Ramkund is in the Panchavati area of Nashik, on the Godavari; Kushavarta is beside the Trimbakeshwar temple, about 30 km away. The flags go up at both at the same time.
- 1RamkundGhat · This page
- 2Kalaram TempleTemple
- 3Sita GufaTemple
- 4Kapaleshwar Mahadev TempleTemple
- 5Sundar Narayan TempleTemple
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
- 1Trimbakeshwar TempleTemple · This page
- 2GangadwarTemple
- 3BrahmagiriHill
- 4AnjaneriTemple
- 5Trimbakeshwar bus depotBus
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
The day at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday 31 October 2026 |
| Tithi | Ashwin Krishna Shashthi (amanta month, as used in Nashik) |
| Time | 12:02 PM (reported) |
| Places | Ramkund, Nashik and Kushavarta, Trimbakeshwar, at the same time |
| Is it a bathing day? | No. It is the opening ceremony. The Amrit Snans are on 2 August, 31 August and 11 and 12 September 2027. |
| Ramkund before the day | Closed to devotees until 31 October for ghat works (reported) |
| Who runs it | Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) |
After 31 October
The flag hoisting opens a Simhastha that runs for almost two years. The next dated milestones are works deadlines: the authority’s orders for the new ghats at Trimbakeshwar, and the minister in charge for all Simhastha works, have set March 2027.
The authority’s plan puts the core mela period in June to September 2027. The Nagar Pradakshina is on Thursday 29 July 2027, and the three Amrit Snans follow on 2 August, 31 August and 11 and 12 September 2027. The plan gives the closing ceremony, the Samapti, as Saturday 29 July 2028; some news reports give 24 July 2028.
See every date, with its status and source, on the Nashik Simhastha timeline.
Do you need to travel for it?
It is an opening ceremony, not a bathing day. If you are planning a Kumbh trip, the Amrit Snans in August and September 2027 are the main bathing days; see them with their tithis on Nashik Kumbh dates.
If you plan to attend, check local police notices for entry, traffic and parking before you set out, and follow police and mela instructions on the day.
Ramkund and Kushavarta, the two centres
Ramkund, Nashik
A bathing tank on the Godavari in the Panchavati area of Nashik, linked in tradition with Lord Rama. It is the main Kumbh bathing place in Nashik. See the Nashik ghats guide.
Kushavarta, Trimbakeshwar
A sacred kund in Trimbakeshwar, about 28 km from Nashik, near the source of the Godavari. The akharas of the Shaiva tradition bathe here. See the Nashik Kumbh guide for both centres.
Nashik and Trimbakeshwar in pictures
What is not announced yet
- Who will hoist the flags at Ramkund and Kushavarta
- Official confirmation of the guests
- Public access, passes or viewing areas
- The police traffic and parking notice for the day
Check the Kumbh Mela Authority’s pages on the Divisional Commissioner, Nashik website (divcomnashik.maharashtra.gov.in) and Nashik police notices before you go.
On the day: official updates
On Saturday 31 October we will add the official programme, the police traffic and parking notice, and photographs of the ceremony here as they are published, each with the time we added it and its source.
Until then, the plan above is from news reports of the Kumbh Mela Authority’s briefings. Read has the Nashik Kumbh started? for what the opening means for a pilgrim.
The day by the panchang
Sunrise, the tithi and when it changes, and sunset at the bathing place, calculated by the Tirth panchang.
- Sunrise6:36 am
- Tithi at sunriseShashthi until 4:57 pm
- From 4:57 pmSaptami until 2:51 pm the next day
- Paksha and monthKrishna paksha, Ashwin (amanta) or Kartika (purnimanta)
- Sunset6:01 pm
The panchang gives the day's timings by tradition; it does not set bathing times. The mela administration decides when each ghat opens and the order of the akhara processions. Follow its plan, the police and mela instructions on the day.
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Questions people ask
Does the Nashik Kumbh start in 2026?
Yes. The Simhastha opens with the flag hoisting on Saturday 31 October 2026. Its main bathing days, the three Amrit Snans, are on 2 August, 31 August and 11 to 12 September 2027.
When is the Nashik Kumbh flag hoisting?
On Saturday 31 October 2026, reported for 12:02 PM, at Ramkund in Nashik and Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar at the same time.
Is 31 October a bathing day?
No. It is the opening ceremony. The three Amrit Snans are on 2 August, 31 August and 11 September (Nashik) and 12 September (Trimbakeshwar) 2027.
Will the President attend?
News reports say President Droupadi Murmu is expected to attend. We found no official confirmation on 18 October 2026.
Where can I check for changes?
The Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority publishes its plan and orders on the Divisional Commissioner, Nashik website, divcomnashik.maharashtra.gov.in. It had no separate Kumbh website when we checked on 18 October 2026; reports say one will be launched as part of the opening programme. We update this page when a notice changes anything.