Kumbh Mela by year · 2026
Kumbh Mela 2026: What Happens This Year
There is no Kumbh bathing season in 2026: the year's one Kumbh event is the flag hoisting on Saturday 31 October 2026 that opens the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, whose Amrit Snans fall in August and September 2027.
Prayagraj held its yearly Magh Mela earlier in 2026. The next Kumbh bathing days begin at Haridwar on Thursday 14 January 2027.
Kumbh events in 2026
| Event | Place | Date | Status | Guide and dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magh Mela 2026 (the yearly mela, not a Kumbh) | Sangam, Prayagraj | Ended in February 2026 with the Mahashivratri bath | Held | Prayagraj guide |
| Flag hoisting (dhwajarohan) that opens the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha | Ramkund, Nashik and Kushavarta, Trimbakeshwar, at the same time | Saturday 31 October 2026, 12:02 PM (time reported) | Official | Nashik Kumbh guide · Nashik dates |
Official means the date is in the authority’s own plan. Held means the event has taken place. The flag hoisting is an opening ceremony, not a bathing day.
Why there is no Kumbh bathing season in 2026
The Kumbh moves between four places, and each follows its own timing in the sky and the Hindu calendar. Read how the Kumbh dates are set.
Prayagraj’s last Kumbh was the Maha Kumbh 2025, from 13 January to 26 February 2025. The next bathing seasons are Haridwar, from 14 January to 20 April 2027, and the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Amrit Snans in August and September 2027. Ujjain’s Simhastha is planned for 2028.
So 2026 sits between Kumbhs. Its one Kumbh event is the opening ceremony at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar on 31 October.
The Nashik flag hoisting on 31 October
The Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha formally begins with flags raised at Ramkund in Nashik and Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar at the same moment, reported for 12:02 PM on Saturday 31 October 2026. The Kumbh Mela Authority’s plan counts the Kumbh period from this day.
It is a ceremony, not a bathing day. If you plan to be there, check local police notices before you set out and follow police and mela instructions on the day.
The flag hoisting page has the programme as reported so far. The Nashik Simhastha timeline shows every date from the opening to the close in 2028.
What comes next, in 2027
- Haridwar Kumbh 2027: Thursday 14 January to Tuesday 20 April 2027, with eleven bathing days and four Amrit Snans (Provisional). See the Haridwar Kumbh guide and Haridwar dates.
- Magh Mela 2027 at Prayagraj: expected from 15 January to 6 March 2027. It is the yearly mela, not a Kumbh. See Magh Mela 2027.
- Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha: Amrit Snans on 2 August, 31 August and 11 and 12 September 2027 (Official). See Nashik dates.
- Every date of the year is on the Kumbh Mela 2027 page. Ujjain’s Simhastha is on the Kumbh Mela 2028 page.
Questions people ask
Is there a Kumbh Mela in 2026?
There is no Kumbh bathing season in 2026. The Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha opens with its flag hoisting on Saturday 31 October 2026, and its Amrit Snans are on 2 August, 31 August and 11 and 12 September 2027.
Is there a Kumbh in Haridwar in 2026?
No. Haridwar’s Kumbh runs from Thursday 14 January to Tuesday 20 April 2027. News reports also call it the Ardh Kumbh; it is the same mela. See Haridwar dates.
Is the Nashik Kumbh in 2026 or 2027?
Both, in a way. It opens with the flag hoisting on 31 October 2026, but its main bathing days, the three Amrit Snans, are in August and September 2027. See the Nashik Simhastha timeline.
Is there a Kumbh in Ujjain in 2026?
No. Ujjain’s Simhastha is planned for 27 March to 27 May 2028, and its bathing days have not been announced. See Ujjain dates.