Amrit Snan is the new name for the Shahi Snan, the main Kumbh bathing days on which the akharas bathe first. The akharas’ council adopted it before Maha Kumbh 2025, according to news reports, and the Nashik and Haridwar announcements use it, but the old name still appears, even on official pages.
What the bath is
By tradition, on the main bathing days the akharas go to the river in procession and bathe before everyone else. The Prayagraj Mela Authority describes this bath, which it calls the Shahi Snan or Rajyogi Snan, as the central event of the Kumbh. It says the public bathes after the saints, in the belief that this brings them the merit of the saints’ good deeds and wisdom.
When and why the name changed
- September 2024: Madhya Pradesh renamed the Mahakal procession in Ujjain from Shahi Sawari to Rajsi Sawari. A Press Trust of India report said the Akhara Parishad then also pressed for Hindi words in place of Urdu ones.
- October 2024: the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad passed a proposal at Niranjani Akhara in Prayagraj to rename Shahi Snan and Peshwai. That report gave the new names as Rajsi Snan and Chhavni Pravesh.
- January 2025: the Parishad’s president said the names had changed to Amrit Snan and Chhavni Pravesh. He said the aim was a Sanskrit or Sanatani name in matters of faith, not to set one community against another. Government of India releases called 14 January 2025 the first Amrit Snan of Maha Kumbh.
- June 2025: at a meeting in Nashik attended by seers of the 13 main akharas, the Maharashtra Chief Minister accepted a suggestion to call the Simhastha’s Shahi Snan Amrut Snan, as at Prayagraj.
- April 2026: the Haridwar mela administration named three Amrit Snans for 2027, according to PTI. By October 2026 the official Haridwar Kumbh website listed four.
Where you will still see Shahi Snan
The old name has not gone away. The Prayagraj Mela Authority’s own 2025 bathing-dates page still calls 14 January the first Shahi Snan, and a Government of India summary released on the last day of Maha Kumbh used Shahi Snan too.
The official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 website goes further and treats them as two different things. It describes the Shahi Snan as the bath that begins with the processions of the 13 akharas, and the Amrit Snan as a holy dip at the most auspicious planetary times. Whichever word you see, check the date against the authority’s list.
The Amrit Snan days ahead
| Kumbh | Amrit Snan dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Haridwar 2027 | Sat 6 Mar (Mahashivratri), Mon 8 Mar (Phalguna Amavasya), Mon 15 Mar (Dev Doli) and Wed 14 Apr 2027 (Mesh Sankranti, the main or Pramukh Amrit Snan) | Provisional |
| Nashik and Trimbakeshwar 2027 | Three Amrit Snans: Mon 2 Aug, Tue 31 Aug, and the third on Sat 11 Sep at Nashik and Sun 12 Sep 2027 at Trimbakeshwar | Official |
| Ujjain 2028 | Not announced. The Simhastha is proposed for 27 Mar to 27 May 2028 | Expected |
Haridwar’s list has changed. The April 2026 announcement reported by PTI named three Amrit Snans. The official website, read on 16 October 2026, lists eleven bathing days and four Amrit Snans, adding Dev Doli on 15 March. After a November 2025 meeting, one newspaper had listed 20 April as a fourth Amrit Snan, but the official site shows 20 April as an ordinary bathing day. Amrit Snan days usually draw the most pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.
See the Haridwar dates page, including the new Amrit Snan on 15 March, and the Nashik dates page for the current status of each day, and the Kumbh snan guide for how to plan the bath itself.
Sources
- Bathing Dates: Maha Kumbh 2025 · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
- Akhara body to ban food stalls by 'non-Sanatanis' at Kumbh, rename 'Urdu' terms for rituals · Press Trust of India (via Deccan Herald) ·
- Ancient temples converted into mosques be vacated, demands Akhara chief · Press Trust of India (via Deccan Herald) ·
- By 5:30 PM today, over 3.5 crore Devotees participate in the 1st Amrit Snan on Makar Sakranti at the Maha Kumbh 2025 · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Culture) ·
- Mahakumbh 2025: Over 40 crore Devotees have taken the Holy Dip at the Triveni Sangam at Prayagraj till date · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) ·
- Simhastha Kumbh Mela to begin in Nashik-Trimbakeshwar on Oct 31 next year · Press Trust of India (via The Week) ·
- Dates announced for bathing festivals during Ardh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar · Press Trust of India (via The Week) ·
- Dhami meets Akhara Parishad; Ardh Kumbh 2027 Amrit Snan dates discussed · Press Trust of India (via The Week) ·
- Mahakumbh 2025: A Spectacle of Faith, Unity, and Tradition · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) ·
- Snan and Events: 'Three Ways to Experience the Snan' (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Snan and Events: Haridwar Kumbh 2027 (official website) · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- MP Simhastha Kumbh 2028: ₹25k Cr Infrastructure Push For 40Cr Devotees, Says CM Yadav · Deccan Chronicle ·
