Magh Mela 2027 · Bathing day
Basant Panchami Snan at Magh Mela 2027: Thursday 11 February
The Basant Panchami snan of Magh Mela 2027 at the Sangam is expected on Thursday 11 February 2027, Magha Shukla Panchami. It is the fourth of the six main bathing days, five days after Mauni Amavasya.
By tradition the day honours Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, and marks the turn of the season towards spring. At the mela, the mela authority says, kalpvasis dress in yellow for the day.
The day at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 11 February 2027 (expected) |
| Weekday | Thursday |
| Tithi at sunrise | Magha Shukla Panchami |
| Place | The Sangam, Prayagraj, where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet |
| Which bath | The fourth of six main bathing days of Magh Mela 2027 |
| Status | Provisional: from the Hindu calendar, not yet listed by the Prayagraj Mela Authority |
| What the day means | The fifth day of the bright half of Magha. By tradition, Saraswati and the turn of the season towards spring; kalpvasis wear yellow. |
What Basant Panchami means by tradition
The Prayagraj Mela Authority describes Basant Panchami as the day that marks the change of seasons and the arrival of Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, in Hindu mythology. Across India it is kept as Saraswati Puja, and, as All India Radio put it in 2025, it marks the arrival of spring.
At Prayagraj the name has a second meaning. According to tradition, the Saraswati is also the unseen river that joins the Ganga and the Yamuna at the Sangam; the district says it is believed to flow underground.
In a Kumbh year Basant Panchami can be an Amrit Snan: at the 2025 Maha Kumbh it was the third and last. For the day across the Kumbhs, read Basant Panchami at the Kumbh.
At the Sangam on Basant Panchami
Pilgrims bathe at the Sangam, where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet. Some walk across the riverbank to the bathing ghats laid out for the mela; others take a boat from the ghat near the fort out to the meeting point, where, the district says, priests sit on small platforms in the river and help pilgrims with puja and the ritual bath. Read the Sangam guide for the ghats, the boats and the shrines nearby.
The day falls in the second half of kalpvas. The mela authority says kalpvasis wear yellow to honour it.
Basant Panchami in the Magh Mela season
Basant Panchami is the fourth of six main bathing days, between Mauni Amavasya and the end of kalpvas on Maghi Purnima.
- Friday 15 January: Makar Sankranti, the first bath; by tradition, the day daan begins at the mela.
- Friday 22 January: Paush Purnima, the full moon on which kalpvas begins, by tradition.
- Saturday 6 February: Mauni Amavasya, the new moon of Magha and, by tradition, the main bath of the mela.
- Thursday 11 February: Basant Panchami, Saraswati and the turn towards spring (this page).
- Saturday 20 February: Maghi Purnima, the full moon on which kalpvas ends, by tradition.
- Saturday 6 March: Mahashivratri, the night of Shiva and the last bath of the mela.
| Date and tithi | Bathing day | Status | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 15 Jan 2027Pausha Shukla Saptami | Makar SankrantiSangam | Expected | |
| Fri 22 Jan 2027Pausha Purnima | Paush PurnimaSangam | Expected | |
| Sat 6 Feb 2027Magha Amavasya | Mauni AmavasyaSangam | Expected | |
| Thu 11 Feb 2027Magha Shukla Panchami | Basant PanchamiSangam | Expected | |
| Sat 20 Feb 2027Magha Shukla Chaturdashi at sunrise | Maghi PurnimaSangam | Expected | |
| Sat 6 Mar 2027Phalguna Krishna Trayodashi at sunrise | MahashivratriSangam | Expected |
The same date, 11 February 2027, is also a main bathing day of Haridwar Kumbh 2027.
For all six days side by side, see the Magh Mela 2027 bathing days, and for the start and end of the season, Magh Mela 2027 start and end date.
Plan the visit
- Main bathing days usually draw large numbers of pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.
- Expect to walk. At the 2025 Maha Kumbh, the mela authority kept vehicles out of the mela area from the day before to the day after each main bathing day, and put parking 1 to 2 km from the ghats. The traffic rules for 2027 have not been announced.
- Mauni Amavasya comes five days earlier, on Saturday 6 February. If you plan to stay for both, read where to stay for Magh Mela 2027 before you book.
- For trains, buses and flights, read how to reach Prayagraj; for a tent on the mela ground or a hotel in the city, read where to stay for Magh Mela 2027.
- Book only what you can cancel until the Prayagraj Mela Authority publishes its list, and check who runs a camp before you pay: how to check a Kumbh booking.
The day by the panchang
Sunrise, the tithi and when it changes, and sunset at the bathing place, calculated by the Tirth panchang.
- Sunrise6:40 am
- Tithi at sunrisePanchami until 3:18 am the next day
- From 3:18 amShashthi until 2:59 am the next day
- Paksha and monthShukla paksha, Magha
- Observed asVasant Panchami
- Sunset5:53 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
When is the Basant Panchami snan at Magh Mela 2027?
On Thursday 11 February 2027, by the Hindu calendar (Magha Shukla Panchami). It stays expected until the Prayagraj Mela Authority publishes its list.
Why do kalpvasis wear yellow on Basant Panchami?
The mela authority says kalpvasis wear yellow to honour the day, which by tradition marks the arrival of spring and of Saraswati, goddess of knowledge.
Is 11 February 2027 also a bathing day at Haridwar?
Yes. Basant Panchami, 11 February 2027, is a main bathing day of Haridwar Kumbh 2027 as well, not an Amrit Snan there.