Skip to content

Plan your Kumbh · Costs

What Is Free at the Kumbh, and What You Pay For

KumbhMela.info Editorial TeamChecked on Wed 21 Oct 2026

Entering the mela and bathing carry no fee on any official page we read for Haridwar, Prayagraj or Nashik. Meals at bhandaras are free by tradition.

ExpectedChecked on Wed 21 Oct 2026

Most fees for 2027 and 2028 are not published yet, and Ujjain 2028 has no published visitor rules. Where no official page states a fee, we say so.

Boats, ropeways, parking, tent cities, temple passes and pujas can have a fee. We never give amounts: below is who sets each fee and where it is published, so you can check the current rate yourself.

Haridwar

Ropeway cars climbing the hill above Haridwar, with the town and the Ganga belowPhoto: Anuragomer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ropeway cars climbing the hill above Haridwar.

No fee

  • Entering the mela and bathing at the ghats: no page of the official Kumbh website that we read mentions a fee, ticket or pass.1

Has a fee, set by someone else

  • Ropeway (Mansa Devi and Chandi Devi Udan Khatola)

    Set by: The operator, Usha Breco Limited; we found no government rate list. Published on udankhatola.com (operator's own pricing list).2

    Published by the operator; checked 21 October 2026
  • Parking

    Set by: Not announced; the Kumbh mela administration plans the parking sites. Not published yet.3

    24 parking points marked proposed on the official map; no fee information
  • Shuttle buses, taxis and autos

    Set by: Not stated on the official website. Not published yet.1,4

    The official site lists shuttle hours and stands, and calls taxis prepaid, but gives no fares
  • Tent cities and Kumbh camps

    Set by: Not announced. Not published yet.4

    The official stay page has a Kumbh Camps card but no camp list

We never give amounts. Fees change and are set by the bodies named here; check the official page before you pay.

Sources (4)
  1. Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand: Essential services and other visitor pages, official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 website
  2. Udan Khatola, Usha Breco Limited (ropeway operator): Maa Mansadevi Udankhatola (operator's page)
  3. Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand: Points of interest data, official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 map
  4. Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand: Directory sections and entries, official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 website

Prayagraj

Rowing boats with pilgrims on the water at the Sangam, Prayagraj, in soft lightPhoto: Rangan Datta Wiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Boats at the Sangam, Prayagraj.

No fee

  • Entering the mela and bathing at the Sangam: the mela authority's 2025 FAQ and visitor pages mention no fee, ticket or pass.1
  • Meals at bhandaras and langars run by akharas, trusts and residents are free; in 2025 the government reported free meals served every day.2,3,4
  • UPSRTC made its shuttle buses free from 25 to 28 February 2025, the last days of Maha Kumbh 2025. This was a one-off; it is not announced for 2027.5

Has a fee, set by someone else

  • Boats to the Sangam

    Set by: In 2025 the Prayagraj Mela Authority published a per-person fare for each of 14 routes, with a list of verified boatmen. Where the rates are published (Maha Kumbh 2025 list); for Magh Mela 2027 not published yet.6

    Precedent from 2025; no 2026 or 2027 list found
  • Tent cities and camps

    Set by: In 2025, the tent city operators, described by the mela authority as UP Tourism approved vendors. Where the rates are published (Maha Kumbh 2025); for Magh Mela 2027 not published yet.7

    Precedent from 2025; Magh Mela 2027 camps not announced
  • Guided tours

    Set by: In 2025, the UP State Tourism Development Corporation, whose packages, including walking tours of the mela, were listed on the mela site. Where the rates are published (Maha Kumbh 2025); for Magh Mela 2027 not published yet.8

    Precedent from 2025
  • Shuttle buses

    Set by: UPSRTC (UP Roadways). Not published yet.9,5

    50 electric shuttle buses planned for Magh Mela 2027 (reported); in 2025 shuttles were made free on the last four days
  • Food courts

    Set by: The authorised food court agencies; the mela authority describes food court areas as commercial outlets. Where the rates are published (2025 operator list, no prices).10,11

    Precedent from 2025

We never give amounts. Fees change and are set by the bodies named here; check the official page before you pay.

Sources (11)
  1. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: FAQs, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal
  2. IANS: Mahakumbh 2025: Hundreds of organisations to host free community kitchens (2024)
  3. Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Culture): A Hundred Million Pilgrims, One Sacred Purpose: The Maha Kumbh Experience (backgrounder) (2025)
  4. Press Information Bureau, Government of India: Kumbh 2019 release mentioning langars on the way to the Sangam (2019)
  5. ETV Bharat (PTI): Maha Kumbh: UPSRTC deploys 4,500 buses for devotees (2025)
  6. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Sangam Boat Ride, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal
  7. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Where to stay, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal
  8. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Tour packages, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal
  9. Amar Ujala (Prayagraj): Magh Mela 2027: 50 electric buses as a shuttle service (2026)
  10. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Food and things to do, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal
  11. Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Key announcements, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal (2024)

Nashik and Trimbakeshwar

Trimbakeshwar Temple near NashikPhoto: K.Venkataramana, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Trimbakeshwar Temple near Nashik.

No fee

  • Entering the mela and bathing at Ramkund or Kushavarta: a text search of the Kumbh Mela Plan finds no entry fee or bathing pass.1
  • At Trimbakeshwar, children under 10, people over 65 and Divyangjan are exempt from the charge for the trust's donation darshan pass, the trust's page says.2

Has a fee, set by someone else

  • Parking

    Set by: Parking vendors, under the Kumbh Mela Authority, which provides the land and core infrastructure. Not published yet.1

    Proposed: the plan has vendors running 24x7 parking with ticketing; marked tentative
  • Tent cities

    Set by: Private operators under the Kumbh Mela Authority's SOP, which plans pricing controls by tent category under government oversight. Not published yet.1,3

    Framework announced September 2026; applications expected; no public booking channel or rate list
  • Temple darshan pass (Trimbakeshwar)

    Set by: Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust. Where the rates are published.2

    In force; donation darshan pass sold at two counters and online, with exemptions
  • Online pujas (Trimbakeshwar)

    Set by: Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust. Where the rates are published.4

    In force; Rudrabhishek and Laghurudra are online-only
  • Guides and pandits

    Set by: Not announced; the plan proposes registering tourist guides and pandits and permitting vendors with fee and lease management. Not published yet.1

    Proposed

We never give amounts. Fees change and are set by the bodies named here; check the official page before you pay.

Sources (4)
  1. Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, Office of the Divisional Commissioner, Nashik, Government of Maharashtra: Nashik Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027: Kumbh Mela Plan (interim) (2026)
  2. Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust: Trimbakeshwar Offline Donation Darshan Pass Counters
  3. Free Press Journal: Nashik: private tent cities to expand accommodation for Simhastha 2027 pilgrims (2026)
  4. Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust: Online puja booking, Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust

Ujjain

A gilded sculpture group in the Mahakal Lok corridor at Ujjain, lit up at nightPhoto: Krishnakant, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mahakal Lok, Ujjain.

No fee

  • Meals at the Mahakaleshwar temple's Annakshetra are free, against coupons, daily from 11 AM to 7:30 PM.1
  • Prasad offered to Baba Mahakal, with flowers and belpatra, at the free counter near the temple's exit channel (reported from October 2026).2

Has a fee, set by someone else

  • Bhasma Aarti booking (Mahakaleshwar)

    Set by: Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee. Where the rates are published (fee shown only after mobile number login).3,4,5

    In force; online only since April 2026, a per-person fee, one booking per mobile number in three months
  • Sheeghra Darshan ticket and pujas (Mahakaleshwar)

    Set by: Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee. Where the rates are published (puja fee list); Sheeghra Darshan booked at https://www.shrimahakaleshwar.mp.gov.in/services/.6,3

    In force; several pujas need a separate Sheeghra Darshan ticket
  • Laddu prasad (Mahakaleshwar)

    Set by: Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, which sells it on a no-profit, no-loss basis. Not on the temple's public pages; shown at the counters.7,8

    In force (reported October 2025)
  • Ujjain Darshan bus

    Set by: The Madhya Pradesh government, under its Mukhyamantri Sugam Parivahan Seva; the launch release states the fare. Where the rates are published (launch release).9

    Operating since 27 September 2026
  • Boats on the Kshipra

    Set by: Not stated. Not published yet.10

    Boat routes announced for devotees in May 2025; no operator or fare published
  • Tent city

    Set by: Not announced. Not published yet.11

    Announced for Simhastha 2028 in February 2026
  • Ropeway (railway station to Mahakaleshwar)

    Set by: Not announced. Not published yet.12

    Under construction (December 2024 presentation)

We never give amounts. Fees change and are set by the bodies named here; check the official page before you pay.

Sources (12)
  1. Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain: Shri Mahakaleshwar Annakshetra
  2. Free Press Journal: Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Temple starts free prasad and bel patra distribution for devotees (2026)
  3. Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain: Online services and booking notices, Shri Mahakaleshwar temple
  4. Navbharat Live: Mahakal temple: offline Bhasma Aarti permission ended, online booking only (2026)
  5. Navbharat Live: Mahakal Bhasma Aarti: one booking per mobile number in three months (2026)
  6. Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain: Pujan-Abhishek, Shri Mahakaleshwar temple
  7. ETV Bharat: Ragi laddu to be offered as prasad at Mahakal temple this Diwali (2025)
  8. Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain: Policy page, Shri Mahakaleshwar temple website
  9. Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh: CM launches PM e-Bus and Ujjain Darshan services from Mahakal Lok (2026)
  10. Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh: CM lays foundation for 29 km of Shipra ghats and 21 barrages (2025)
  11. Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh: Ujjain to develop tent city for Simhastha 2028 on lines of Rann Utsav (2026)
  12. Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh: Comprehensive action plan for Simhastha 2028 (presentation to Union Minister) (2024)

Before you pay

Our advice:

  • Check the rate on the official page named here, on the day you pay.
  • Book temple passes and pujas only on the temple trust’s own website or at its counters.
  • If a booking looks official but you are not sure, read is this Kumbh booking real?
  • Daan is a gift you choose to give, not a fee. Read what people give at the Kumbh, and why.

Questions people ask

Is there an entry fee for the Kumbh Mela?

No official page we read mentions an entry fee, ticket or pass to enter the mela or bathe, for Haridwar 2027, Prayagraj or Nashik. Ujjain 2028 has no published visitor rules yet.

Do you pay for the boat at the Sangam?

Yes. In 2025 the Prayagraj Mela Authority published a per-person fare for each of 14 boat routes, with a list of verified boatmen. The list for Magh Mela 2027 is not published yet.

How do you book the Bhasma Aarti at Mahakaleshwar?

Only online, on the Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee’s own website. The fee is shown there after you log in with a mobile number.

Where next

Har Ki Pauri, HaridwarPhoto: TirthProvisionalहरिद्वार कुंभ 2027Haridwar Kumbh 2027Thu 14 Jan to Tue 20 Apr 2027Open the guideRamkund on Makar Sankranti 2025Photo: Rohit R Nashik, CC BY-SA 4.0Officialनासिक कुंभ 2027Nashik–Trimbakeshwar SimhasthaMain bathing Aug to Sep 2027Open the guideRam Ghat on the ShipraPhoto: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0Expectedउज्जैन सिंहस्थ 2028Ujjain Simhastha 202827 Mar to 27 May 2028Open the guideBoats at the Sangam, PrayagrajPhoto: Ninara, CC BY 2.0Expectedप्रयागराज माघ मेला 2027Prayagraj Magh Mela 2027Magh Mela, 15 Jan to 6 Mar 2027Open the guide

Sources

31 sources · checked 21 Oct 2026
  1. Kumbh 2019 release mentioning langars on the way to the Sangam · Press Information Bureau, Government of India ·
  2. A Hundred Million Pilgrims, One Sacred Purpose: The Maha Kumbh Experience (backgrounder) · Press Information Bureau, Government of India (Ministry of Culture) ·
  3. Mahakumbh 2025: Hundreds of organisations to host free community kitchens · IANS ·
  4. Food and things to do, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  5. Shri Mahakaleshwar Annakshetra · Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain ·
  6. Ragi laddu to be offered as prasad at Mahakal temple this Diwali · ETV Bharat ·
  7. Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Temple starts free prasad and bel patra distribution for devotees · Free Press Journal ·
  8. Mahakal temple: offline Bhasma Aarti permission ended, online booking only · Navbharat Live ·
  9. Mahakal Bhasma Aarti: one booking per mobile number in three months · Navbharat Live ·
  10. Trimbakeshwar Offline Donation Darshan Pass Counters · Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust ·
  11. Online puja booking, Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust · Shri Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust ·
  12. Key announcements, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  13. Points of interest data, official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 map · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
  14. Directory sections and entries, official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 website · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
  15. Essential services and other visitor pages, official Haridwar Kumbh 2027 website · Haridwar Kumbh Mela administration, Government of Uttarakhand ·
  16. Nashik Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027: Kumbh Mela Plan (interim) · Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, Office of the Divisional Commissioner, Nashik, Government of Maharashtra ·
  17. Nashik: private tent cities to expand accommodation for Simhastha 2027 pilgrims · Free Press Journal ·
  18. Sangam Boat Ride, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  19. Where to stay, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  20. Tour packages, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  21. Maha Kumbh: UPSRTC deploys 4,500 buses for devotees · ETV Bharat (PTI) ·
  22. Magh Mela 2027: 50 electric buses as a shuttle service · Amar Ujala (Prayagraj) ·
  23. Maa Mansadevi Udankhatola (operator's page) · Udan Khatola, Usha Breco Limited (ropeway operator) ·
  24. CM launches PM e-Bus and Ujjain Darshan services from Mahakal Lok · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
  25. CM lays foundation for 29 km of Shipra ghats and 21 barrages · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
  26. Ujjain to develop tent city for Simhastha 2028 on lines of Rann Utsav · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
  27. Comprehensive action plan for Simhastha 2028 (presentation to Union Minister) · Directorate of Public Relations (Jansampark), Government of Madhya Pradesh ·
  28. Pujan-Abhishek, Shri Mahakaleshwar temple · Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain ·
  29. Online services and booking notices, Shri Mahakaleshwar temple · Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain ·
  30. FAQs, Maha Kumbh 2025 portal · Prayagraj Mela Authority, Government of Uttar Pradesh ·
  31. Policy page, Shri Mahakaleshwar temple website · Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, Ujjain ·