Madhya Pradesh is building about 29 km of new ghats on the Shipra, a closed duct to keep the polluted Kanh river away from the city’s ghats, and new roads and rail links, and the Chief Minister has set Diwali 2027 as the deadline for all Simhastha works. Most of this was still being built when we checked in October 2026.
The Simhastha is proposed for 27 March to 27 May 2028, and its bathing days have not been announced. This article covers only what the state government has said in its own releases.
New ghats along the Shipra
In May 2025 the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for ghats along both banks of the Shipra, from the Shani Temple to the Nagda bypass, and for 21 barrages on the river, together worth Rs 864 crore. He said at the event that about 5 crore devotees would be able to bathe on the new ghats within 24 hours.
At a review on 20 June 2026, officials gave the project as 29.15 km long and costing Rs 778 crore. About 7 km of new ghats and 18.20 km of retaining walls were complete, and more than 150 access points had been identified for pilgrims. In April 2026 the Chief Minister also asked for a separate bridge over the river for pilgrims on foot.
Keeping the Kanh out of the Shipra
The Kanh Diversion Closed Duct Project is meant to stop polluted water from the Kanh river reaching the main ghats and pilgrimage sites on the Shipra in the city. A barrage on the Kanh at Jamalpura village will send that water through a 30.15 km duct, 18.15 km of it cut-and-cover and 12 km in tunnel, to be released downstream of the Gambhir Dam. Its revised cost is Rs 919.94 crore.
In June 2026 the state reported that the head regulator was finished, precast segments had been laid over 4.50 km of the cut-and-cover section, 8.15 km of the tunnel had been dug, and the barrage was still under construction.
Roads, rail and crowd control
- Roads: widening of several city roads, including stretches towards Harsiddhi and from Mahakal Square, was approved in April 2026. The Chief Minister inspected road widening on foot in September 2026.
- Rail: the Railways approved an 8.60 km bypass line between Naikhedi and Chintaman Ganesh stations, costing Rs 189.04 crore, so that trains no longer need to reverse at Ujjain.
- Transport hub: a multimodal transit hub at the Dewas Gate bus stand, with a skywalk to Ujjain railway station, was approved in April 2026.
- Control centre: an Integrated Command and Control Centre, estimated at Rs 139.14 crore, is planned for watching crowds through CCTV, drones and data analytics.
- Scale: in June 2026 the state was tracking 148 projects worth over Rs 16,910 crore across Ujjain, Omkareshwar and seven other districts.
Stays and land
The state plans a tent city for the Simhastha on the lines of the Rann Utsav in Kutch. It has also asked for homestays, parking and public facilities within 100 km of Ujjain, faster permits for new hotels, and a count of the rooms in hotels, dharamshalas and homestays in Ujjain, Indore and Dewas. In November 2025 it cancelled the Simhastha land pooling plan after talks with farmers’ representatives. We found no official booking channel for any of these yet.
What this means if you plan to go
An approval, a foundation stone or a progress report is not the same as a finished ghat or road. A state climate planning document for Ujjain also sets a green Kumbh goal, with work around Ram Ghat and the old city, but it does not confirm dates or completed projects either.
Until the bathing days and access plans are announced, book only what you can cancel. Follow the Ujjain Simhastha page for dates and status, and read Is this Kumbh booking real? before you pay anyone for a tent or room.
Sources
- All Simhastha 2028 Works to Be Completed by Diwali 2027: CM Dr. Yadav · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Chief Minister Dr. Yadav lays the foundation for the construction of 29 km of Shipra Ghat and 21 barrages for Rs 864 crore · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- CM Dr. Yadav and Union Minister Manohar Lal Review Ghat Construction Works for Simhastha 2028 · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Revised administrative approval of Rs 919 crore 94 lakh for 'Kanh Diversion Close Duct Project' for organizing Simhastha-2028 · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Simhastha 2028: 17 New Development Projects Approved · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- CM Dr. Yadav Expresses Gratitude to Railway Minister Shri Vaishnav for Approval of Ujjain Bypass Railway Line Project · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- World to Witness the Grandeur of Simhastha: Land Pooling Cancelled in Honour of Farmers · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Ujjain to Develop Tent City for Simhastha 2028 on Lines of Rann Utsav: CM Dr. Yadav · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- CM Dr. Yadav Inspects Simhastha-2028 Development Works on Foot · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Advancing City Climate Action in Ujjain: Executive Summary · Environmental Planning and Coordination Organisation, Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- MP Simhastha Kumbh 2028: ₹25k Cr Infrastructure Push For 40Cr Devotees, Says CM Yadav · Deccan Chronicle ·
Photo: Vanshiikaa, CC0
