A dharamshala is a simple rest house for pilgrims and an ashram is a religious institution that may take guests, so both suit people who want a plain room in a religious setting rather than a hotel. For Haridwar 2027 the official Kumbh website already lists 51 registered dharamshalas and 115 ashrams; for the other Kumbhs, start from the temple trust or the mela authority, and confirm every detail directly before you pay.
How a dharamshala or ashram stay differs from a hotel
There is no single rulebook. Each place sets its own terms, so treat the points below as things to ask about, not promises.
- Who runs it. A dharamshala may be run by a trust, a community group or a temple. An ashram belongs to a religious order or teacher. UNESCO’s description of the Kumbh names ashrams among the tradition’s participants, alongside akharas, ascetics and pilgrims.
- House rules. Ask about gate closing and opening times, prayer and meal times, and any rules on alcohol, meat or tobacco.
Photo: Bhuvi Uniyal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWhere the official lists are
When we checked on 16 October 2026, this is what each authority or temple body showed. None of these lists is a booking channel or an approval of any place.
| Kumbh | Where to look | What it showed on 16 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Haridwar 2027 | The directory on the official site, haridwarkumbh.uk.gov.in | 51 registered dharamshalas, all listed under Rishikesh, each with a room count. 115 ashrams, most with only a name and an address, in areas such as Bhupatwala, Motichur, Kankhal and Bhimgoda in Haridwar and Tapovan and Muni Ki Reti in Rishikesh. The site also links to the GMVN and KMVN government rest houses. |
| Nashik and Trimbakeshwar 2027 | The temple trust or institution itself | The Nashik district notes that temple-trust accommodation exists at Trimbakeshwar, but says availability and Kumbh-period booking must be checked directly. No approved 2027 list of ashrams or dharamshalas was published. |
| Ujjain 2028 | The Mahakaleshwar temple website; for the Simhastha, the state’s announcements | The temple committee lists two guest houses (Atithi Niwas) near the temple, booked online on its own website. The state is collecting data on hotel, lodge, dharamshala and homestay capacity in Ujjain, Indore and Dewas. |
| Prayagraj | The mela authority’s website for the year | At the 2025 Maha Kumbh the authority listed the camps of akharas and religious institutions (sansthas) by sector. Kalpvasis live in tents near the Sangam for the month from Paush Purnima to Magh Purnima. |
What a listing does and does not tell you
A name in an official directory tells you the place exists and is known to the administration. It does not tell you that a room is free, what it costs, or how the place handles bookings in a Kumbh year. Most of the Haridwar ashram entries give no phone number, so you may need to find the ashram’s own office yourself, through the ashram, not through an advert.
The official Haridwar site’s own advice applies to every Kumbh: check the distance from the mela and the transport, check the facilities and the cancellation terms, prefer verified providers, and expect higher demand and movement restrictions on the major snan days.
What to confirm before you go
What to confirm before you go
- Who can stayFamilies, single travellers, groups and foreign visitors may each be treated differently.
- The roomRooms can be simple. Ask about beds, bedding and the bathroom, whether any of these are shared, and for how many people.
- Gate timesThe official Haridwar snan list shows a window from 4:00 am to 12:00 noon on each bathing day, so ask when the gate opens in the morning and when it closes at night.
- MealsWhether they are included, at what times, and whether you may eat in your room.
- PaymentA stay may be charged as rent for the room or asked for as a donation (daan). Ask the amount, which it is, who receives it and what receipt you get.
- ChangesWhat happens if the dates move. Haridwar’s bathing days are still provisional.
- Foreign visitorsThe Bureau of Immigration says every place that gives a foreigner a place to stay must report it on Form III (Form C), now including OCI cardholders under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025. Carry your passport and visa and expect to show them.
Before you pay anything
Fake bookings in the name of religious institutions are a known fraud. In April 2025 the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre warned about fake websites, social media pages and WhatsApp accounts offering guest house bookings for pilgrims; people who paid often got no room at all. Run any offer through Is this Kumbh booking real? and read Kumbh scams: fake camps and passes.
For Haridwar, compare areas in Where to stay for Haridwar Kumbh 2027 and choosing a stay by walking distance. For Nashik, see Where to stay during Nashik Kumbh, and for a month of simple living at Prayagraj, read kalpvas explained.
Sources
12 sources · checked 16 Oct 2026
- Directory: Registered Dharamshalas (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Kumbh Mela Haridwar 2027, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Directory: Ashrams (Haridwar Kumbh 2027 official website) · Kumbh Mela Haridwar 2027, Government of Uttarakhand ·
- Stay and Accommodation (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 ·
- Trimbakeshwar Temple: Visitor Orientation · Nashik District, Government of Maharashtra ·
- Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Ujjain: home page and Important Notice on bookings · Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain ·
- Simhastha 2028: 17 New Development Projects Approved · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Spiritual Congregations: Akharas and Sansthas (Maha Kumbh 2025 official website) · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
- The Beginning of Maha Kumbh 2025: A Grand Spiritual Spectacle · Press Information Bureau / Ministry of Culture, Government of India ·
- Kumbh Mela: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ·
- Online Form III (Form C): notice on reporting foreign guests · Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs ·
- I4C alerts public about online booking scams impersonating religious institutions and tourist services · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs) ·
Photo: Tirth