No. No entry fee or pass for the Kumbh has been announced for Haridwar 2027, Nashik 2027 or Ujjain 2028, as of 16 October 2026. The Maha Kumbh 2025 website said no invitation is needed to attend, and the one recent exception was Haridwar 2021, when COVID-19 rules asked visitors to register and show a test report.
What past Kumbh authorities said
For Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj, the Prayagraj Mela Authority’s website described the Kumbh as perhaps the only event in the world where no invitation is required, yet millions of pilgrims gather. Its FAQ page answered four questions, on places to see, do’s and don’ts, how to reach Prayagraj and the bathing dates. None of them mentions a fee, a pass or registration. UNESCO’s description of the Kumbh says the same thing in its own words: millions of people reach the place without any invitation.
The online system the 2025 authority did run was for organisations, not for pilgrims. From 29 October 2024 it invited sansthas, the religious and social organisations that set up camps, to apply on a portal for land and facilities. After allotment, each sanstha could download its facility slip from the same portal.
The exception: Haridwar 2021
The 2021 Haridwar Kumbh was held during COVID-19, and entry rules applied that year. The Uttarakhand High Court made a negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours before arrival, mandatory for devotees, and vaccinated devotees had to upload their certificate on an official portal. An Uttarakhand government advisory issued in April 2021 asked visitors to register on the state portal and show the test report to enter the mela area.
| What | Haridwar 2021 | Haridwar 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Entry rules | A negative RT-PCR report, not older than 72 hours, was mandatory | None announced |
| Registration | The April 2021 advisory asked visitors to register on the state portal | A “Register Now” page showing “Coming Soon” on 16 October 2026, with no fee and no statement that it is required |
Those rules applied to the 2021 mela. Read what happened at Haridwar in 2021 for the full story.
What is announced for 2027 and 2028
| Kumbh | Entry fee or pass | What the authority shows |
|---|---|---|
| Haridwar 2027 (14 January to 20 April 2027) | Not announced | The official website, haridwarkumbh.uk.gov.in, has a “Register Now” link. On 16 October 2026 its sign-up page showed “Coming Soon” and described an account to save plans, explore services and get updates. It does not say registration is required, and it shows no fee. The site’s FAQ says pilgrims can bathe at the designated ghats. |
| Nashik and Trimbakeshwar 2027 | Not announced | The authority’s Kumbh Mela Plan (first edition, June 2026) says vendors will run parking areas with ticketing. We found no entry fee or bathing pass in it. |
| Ujjain 2028 (27 March to 27 May 2028, proposed) | Not announced | No visitor rules have been announced yet. |
If Haridwar’s registration opens, read what it asks for and whether it is required before you sign up, and use only the official website.
What can cost money near the Kumbh
Some services around a Kumbh do charge. None of them is an entry pass to the mela:
Boats
In 2025 the Prayagraj Mela Authority published per-person boat fares to the Sangam from 14 ghats and routes, with a list of verified boatmen.
Parking
Nashik’s 2027 plan says vendors will run the parking areas with ticketing.
Temple services
Temples run their own bookings. Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain sells a Sheeghra Darshan ticket for quicker darshan and takes aarti bookings only on its official website. The Trimbakeshwar temple trust sells a donation darshan pass for quicker darshan; its counter page gives the current price.
Stays
Rooms, dharamshalas and camps are booked and paid for separately. Haridwar’s official site lists stays and advises choosing official or verified providers and checking cancellation policies.
If someone offers you a Kumbh pass
Before Maha Kumbh 2025, the cyber police in Pimpri Chinchwad warned of websites taking money for fake bookings of rooms and passes in the Kumbh’s name, Business Today reported. In April 2025 the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre warned that such frauds use fake websites, social media pages, WhatsApp accounts and paid search adverts.
If a pass is ever announced for a Kumbh or a bathing day, the official notice will say where to get it. Do not buy one from a seller, an advert or a forwarded message. Check any offer with our booking check, read how fake camps and passes work, and report fraud on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in. For everything else to arrange before you travel, start with Plan your Kumbh.
Plan your trip
Sources
17 sources · checked 16 Oct 2026
- Social Significance (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority ·
- FAQs (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority ·
- Kumbh Mela: element description on the Representative List · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ·
- Key Announcements (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority ·
- Kumbh duration curtailed to one month; Covid-19 negative report mandatory · Press Trust of India (via Business Standard) ·
- Advisory for Kumbh Mela, 2021 (Press Release No. 117/21) · Government of Meghalaya (relaying the Uttarakhand Government advisory) ·
- Snan and Events: Haridwar Kumbh 2027 (official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Register Now / Sign Up page (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Frequently Asked Questions (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Kumbh Mela Plan (First Edition): crowd movement, digital Kumbh and parking sections (Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027) · Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority ·
- MP Simhastha Kumbh 2028: ₹25k Cr Infrastructure Push For 40Cr Devotees, Says CM Yadav · Deccan Chronicle ·
- Sangam Boat Ride (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
- Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Ujjain: home page and Important Notice on bookings · Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain ·
- Trimbakeshwar Offline Donation Darshan Pass Counters · Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust ·
- Stay and Accommodation (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Mahakumbh mela 2025: How to save yourself from scams during online bookings, transactions · Business Today ·
- I4C alerts public about online booking scams impersonating religious institutions and tourist services · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs) ·
Photo: DeeKayGangwar, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Vanshiikaa, CC0
