Ram Ghat on the Shipra. Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0Ujjain Simhastha · Mon 27 Mar to Sat 27 May 2028
The short answer
Ujjain's Simhastha is planned for Mon 27 Mar to Sat 27 May 2028. The state's plan proposes three shahi snans and seven parva snans between 9 Apr and 8 May 2028, but no bathing date has been announced yet.
Everything for Ujjain Simhastha 2028
Every Kumbh from 2025 to 2031
Ujjain’s bathing days are not announced yet. This is where Ujjain sits among the coming Kumbhs.
Plan your trip
The guides most people need.
A ready-made plan
Two days, step by step, with what pilgrims do at each place by tradition. The full page has one-day and three-day plans too.
Bathe in the Shipra at Ram Ghat, have darshan of Mahakal, and add Omkareshwar on the Narmada, the other Jyotirlinga of Madhya Pradesh. Omkareshwar is about 135 km from Ujjain by road, via Indore. The Simhastha bathing days for 2028 have not been announced.
Day 1
- DawnRam Ghat on the Shipra
Pilgrims bathe in the Shipra at Ram Ghat, where the Simhastha's shahi snan takes place. By tradition Rama performed rites for his father here, which gave the ghat its name.
About 2.3 km on foot, roughly 30 minutes (OpenStreetMap foot route). From Ujjain Junction. - MorningShri Mahakaleshwar Temple
Pilgrims have darshan of Mahakal, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Its idol faces south, which tradition holds is found only here among the twelve.
About 0.8 km on foot, roughly 10 minutes (OpenStreetMap foot route). - MorningHarsiddhi Temple
A Shakti Peetha where, by the Shiva Purana, the elbow of Sati fell. Its two tall pillars of lamps are lit in Navratri.
About 600 metres from the Mahakaleshwar temple (MP Tourism). - AfternoonChintaman Ganesh Temple
A Ganesh temple outside the city. The idol is believed to be self-manifested, and devotees believe darshan here fulfils wishes and removes worry.
About 6.4 km by road; OpenStreetMap estimates 10 minutes on a clear road. The district puts the temple about 7 km from the city. - EveningSandhya Aarti at Mahakaleshwar
Pilgrims return to Mahakal for the evening Sandhya Aarti.
About 6.4 km by road; OpenStreetMap estimates 10 minutes on a clear road.
Day 2
- MorningKoti Tirtha Ghat on the Narmada
Pilgrims bathe in the Narmada at Koti Tirtha Ghat, directly in front of the main temple. A dip here is believed to bring the merit of a crore of pilgrimages.
By road via Indore: Ujjain to Indore 53 km (Ujjain district), and Indore to Omkareshwar about 80 km (MP Tourism). OpenStreetMap gives about 135 km from Ram Ghat and estimates 2 hours 30 minutes on a clear road. The Ujjain district lists regular buses to Omkareshwar. - MorningShri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga
Pilgrims have darshan of Omkareshwar, on the island of Mandhata in the Narmada, which is shaped like the syllable Om. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Koti Tirtha Ghat is directly in front of the main temple, the temple trust says. - AfternoonMamleshwar Temple
The Mamleshwar (Amareshwar) temple on the south bank of the Narmada. The district says it and Omkareshwar are of equal status, and both are held to be Jyotirlingas.
About 0.7 km on foot, roughly 10 minutes (OpenStreetMap foot route). - EveningEvening aarti to the Narmada at Koti Tirtha Ghat
An evening aarti to the Narmada is held every day at Koti Tirtha Ghat, about half an hour long, and anyone may watch it.
Back across the Narmada to the ghat in front of the main temple. OpenStreetMap gives about 0.7 km on foot between the Mamleshwar and Omkareshwar temples, roughly 10 minutes.No start time is published.
Take it offline
Ujjain in pictures
Credited photos. Tap a photo to see who took it.
Where things are
The temples and arrival points we could confirm on OpenStreetMap and Wikidata. Ram Ghat and the other ghats are added once their positions are confirmed.
- 1Mahakaleshwar TempleTemple
- 2Ram GhatGhat
- 3Kal Bhairav TempleTemple
- 4Chintaman Ganesh TempleTemple
- 5Ujjain Junction railway stationRailway
- 6Dewas Gate bus standBus
- 7Nanakheda bus standBus
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
Ujjain Simhastha 2028 in a minute
A silent, captioned guide in under a minute: the place, the plan and the 2016 Simhastha.
Photo credits
Photo: Snay015, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Photo: Shruti Lata, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Photo: Imakanksha, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Photo: Suyash Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0).
Questions people ask
Is the Ujjain Kumbh in 2027?
No. Ujjain's Simhastha is planned for 27 Mar to 27 May 2028. Nashik and Haridwar are the Kumbhs of 2027.
Source: State plan via Deccan Chronicle, 27 Jun 2026When are the shahi snans?
Not announced yet. Lists of exact dates on travel sites are guesses until the state publishes them.
Source: State plan via Deccan Chronicle, 27 Jun 2026The Shipra and Ram Ghat
The Shipra is Ujjain’s Kumbh river. District and temple material name Ram Ghat as the main public bathing place. Local tradition links its name with Rama. This belongs to sacred tradition, not to history proven by other evidence.
Ujjain has other ghats and sites along the Shipra. Being a pilgrimage spot on normal days does not make each one an approved Simhastha bathing or entry point. The event authorities decide how each one is used.
Photo: The open draft, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsMain ghats and sacred places
Ram Ghat
Current government descriptions name it as the main Simhastha riverfront. Barriers and entry can change on major bathing days.
Mahakaleshwar Temple
This is one of Ujjain’s most important sacred places, and a key stop on the wider pilgrimage circuit. For darshan, bookings and entry during the event, use the temple’s own current website.
Mangalnath and Triveni Ghat
District information places both along the wider Shipra riverfront. The Navagraha temple is linked with Triveni Ghat. Mangalnath is linked with astronomy and with religious traditions.
Kal Bhairava and other Shipra sites
Kal Bhairava is another well-known Shaiva temple near the river. Visit with respect, and do not treat its rituals as a spectacle.
Photo: LRBurdak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGetting there
Ujjain has rail and road links. Current visitor information names Indore as the nearest major airport. Around Ram Ghat and Mahakaleshwar, the old city can have traffic controls and long walks.
Check trains, road closures, temple bookings, parking, shuttles and ghat entry close to your trip. A normal-day distance does not tell you how long the trip will take during the event.
Why is the Kumbh held at Ujjain?
The shared Kumbh tradition links Ujjain with the story of the pot of amrita (the nectar). The name Simhastha comes from a timing tradition linked with Simha, or Leo. Government summaries describe the positions in the sky behind the timing. But these rules do not replace a published schedule.
Simhastha is not a fifth Kumbh place. It is the local name of the event, also used at Nashik–Trimbakeshwar. Read why the Kumbh is held in four places and the cycle guide.
History and meaning
Ujjain has a long, layered history. It is linked with ancient Avanti, the Malwa region, later dynasties, religious bodies, learning and astronomy. District material lists many legends and links with old texts. Some claims, such as a fixed age of “5000 years” or a ranking of places for salvation, are tradition. They should be credited to their source, not treated as settled dates.
Mahakaleshwar is a central part of the city’s living sacred life. The present temple was rebuilt and later supported by patrons. So ancient worship at the site and the age of today’s building are two separate questions.
From time to time, Simhastha brings a temporary system of camps, processions, ghats and services to this permanent city. The last Simhastha named in current state material is Simhastha 2016.
Photo: Imakanksha, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSimhastha 2028 and past events
Madhya Pradesh planning papers include a green Kumbh goal. They also give attention to Ram Ghat and the old city centre. This shows that planning is under way. It is not a final plan for running the event. This page does not give bathing dates, procession routes, parking or entry controls, and it does not claim that any project is complete.
Water testing, routes and ghats from Simhastha 2016 are now archived. Do not copy them into plans for 2028.
Continue exploring
Sources
7 sources · checked 15 Jul 2026
- Kumbh Mela: Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ·
- G20 Digital Museum: Culture Corridor Catalogue · Ministry of Culture, Government of India ·
- Tourist Places: Ujjain · District Ujjain, Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Culture and Heritage: Ujjain · District Ujjain, Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- About Ujjain · Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Advancing City Climate Action in Ujjain: Executive Summary · Environmental Planning and Coordination Organisation, Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
- Kumbh Mela · Office of the Commissioner, Garhwal Division, Government of Uttarakhand ·