Because tradition gives the Godavari two holy points, its source near Trimbakeshwar and Ramkund in Nashik, and because an arrangement made under the Peshwas sends different akharas to each: the Vaishnava akharas bathe at Nashik, and the Shaiva and Udasin akharas at Trimbakeshwar. One authority runs both as a single Kumbh, linked by a road of about 30 km, but on an Amrit Snan day you can be at only one of them.
Which centre is for me?
| What | Ramkund, Nashik | Kushavarta, Trimbakeshwar |
|---|---|---|
| Who bathes there | The Vaishnava akharas | The Shaiva and Udasin akharas, and on the 2015 list the Nirmal Akhara |
| Its story | Rama’s exile in Dandakaranya; Ramkund is held to be where he bathed | Near the source of the Godavari; Trimbakeshwar is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas |
| Also near | The Ramayana sites of Panchavati | The Jyotirlinga temple, about 400 m from the kund |
| Third Amrit Snan | Sat 11 Sep 2027 | Sun 12 Sep 2027 |
| From Nashik Road station | About 10 km | About 39 km to the temple |
| Where to stay | A room in Nashik | A room in Trimbakeshwar |
One river, two sacred points
The Godavari rises on the Brahmagiri hills near Trimbakeshwar and flows east through the old centre of Nashik, the Nashik district says. Both ends of that short stretch hold a place in tradition. The district calls the river the Dakshin Ganga, the Ganga of the south, and says the sage Gautama made Trimbakeshwar his home. According to the story, his penance led Shiva to release the river that became the Godavari. Trimbakeshwar is also one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Maharashtra Tourism notes.
Nashik’s place in the story comes from the Ramayana. The district says Nashik is believed to be part of Dandakaranya, where Rama lived in exile, and Ramkund is held to be where he used to bathe. The Kumbh Mela Authority’s 2027 plan adds that, according to mythology, drops of amrit fell at Ramkund after the churning of the ocean.
Photo: Prashant Kharote, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWhy the akharas bathe apart
At Prayagraj, Haridwar and Ujjain the Vaishnava and Shaiva akharas bathe at the same Kumbh. Nashik is different. According to the Nashik district, arrangements made by the Peshwas after clashes between ascetics of the two traditions sent the Vaishnava akharas to Nashik and the Shaiva (Sannyasi) and Udasin akharas to Trimbakeshwar. The district does not give a year for the arrangement.
The official list of akharas for the 2015 Simhastha shows how the split works:
| Centre | Akharas on the 2015 official list |
|---|---|
| Ramkund, Nashik | The three Vaishnava akharas: Nirmohi, Nirvani and Digambar |
| Kushavarta, Trimbakeshwar | The seven Shaiva akharas (Juna, Avahan, Agni, Atal, Anand, Niranjani and Mahanirvani), the Bada and Naya Udasin akharas and the Nirmal Akhara |
On the first bathing day of 2015, the three Vaishnava akharas went in procession from Tapovan to Ramkund, while the other ten akharas bathed at Kushavarta, PTI reported. The two sides still meet: at the Kumbh Mela Authority commissioner’s press conference in October 2026, it was announced that the Shaiva and Vaishnava akharas would hold a joint maha aarti at Godaghat in Nashik on the eve of the flag hoisting, the Marathi daily Pudhari reported.
One Kumbh, one authority, one flag
The two centres are run as a single event. The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, set up under a 2025 state law, covers both the Nashik and Trimbakeshwar talukas, and its plan names Ramkund and Kushavarta as the two bathing centres. The Simhastha opens with the flag hoisting (dhwajarohan) at both places at the same time, 12:02 PM on Saturday 31 October 2026, the Free Press Journal reported, citing the authority. In 2015, too, the flags went up at Ramkund and at Kushavarta on the same morning.
The 2027 Amrit Snans at each centre
| Amrit Snan | Ramkund, Nashik | Kushavarta, Trimbakeshwar |
|---|---|---|
| First | Mon 2 Aug 2027 | Mon 2 Aug 2027 |
| Second | Tue 31 Aug 2027 | Tue 31 Aug 2027 |
| Third | Sat 11 Sep 2027 | Sun 12 Sep 2027 |
These dates were set at a meeting with the akharas in June 2025 and are in the authority’s plan of June 2026, which it marks as interim. A third bath on different days is not new. PTI reported the last bath of 2003 on 1 September at Nashik and 7 September at Trimbakeshwar, and in 2015 the third bath was on 18 September at Nashik and 25 September at Trimbakeshwar. Amrit Snan days usually draw the most pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.
The Kumbh here is called the Simhastha because it is held when Jupiter is in Simha, the sign of Leo; read why the Nashik and Ujjain Kumbh is called Simhastha.
How far apart the two centres are
| Route | Distance on a normal day |
|---|---|
| Nashik to the Trimbakeshwar temple | About 28 km |
| Nashik to Trimbakeshwar, as the Kumbh plan gives it | About 30 km |
| Trimbakeshwar temple to Kushavarta | About 400 m |
| Nashik Road railway station to Ramkund | About 10 km |
| Nashik Road railway station to the Trimbakeshwar temple | About 39 km |
| Ozar (Ojhar) airport to the centre of Nashik | About 24 km |
These figures come from the Nashik district, Maharashtra Tourism and the Kumbh Mela Authority’s plan. They describe ordinary days, not travel times during the Kumbh. Kushavarta is in the heart of Trimbakeshwar town, so once you reach Trimbakeshwar the kund and the temple are a short walk apart.
On an ordinary day the trip between the centres is a road journey. The Nashik district says Trimbakeshwar is connected by state transport buses, and private vehicles use the same road. The authority’s plan notes the hilly terrain and the narrow ghats along the Godavari and in the Trimbakeshwar region, and the Simhastha falls in the monsoon. In July 2026, Trimbakeshwar taluka recorded 245 mm of rain in 24 hours and roads in the town were waterlogged, the Free Press Journal reported.
Photo: Prashant Kharote, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGetting between them during the Kumbh
The authority’s plan of June 2026, which it marks as interim, sets out how pilgrims will move:
From your vehicle to the ghat at Nashik
- Outer parkingPrivate vehicles stop here on the main bathing days.
- Buffer parkingA second tier, further in.
- Inner parking and shuttleDedicated shuttle buses take pilgrims on towards the ghats.
- WalkBeyond the inner parking, walking is the only way to reach the ghats, akharas and temple areas.
The 30 km road between Trimbakeshwar and Nashik is the core pilgrim route, with most pilgrims expected to arrive from the north-east, and phased road upgrades are planned, especially on this corridor. The state transport corporation (MSRTC) has its own shuttle plan, with figures the plan marks as tentative.
For a sense of how this worked before: in 2015, IANS reported, Nashik planned parking within about 10 km of the main ghats, public buses from there and a walk of the final two kilometres, with only public buses allowed on the main bathing days. The 2027 routes and numbers can still change, so plan for a long day, not a quick drive.
Read next
To compare the two waters and choose between them, read Ramkund and Kushavarta: the two sacred waters. For trains, roads and flights, see how to reach Nashik, and the Nashik Kumbh guide brings it all together.
Plan your trip
Sources
25 sources · checked 19 Oct 2026
- About District, Nashik · Nashik District, Government of Maharashtra ·
- Culture and Heritage: Simhastha Kumbhamela, Godavari and the akhara arrangement (Nashik district) · Nashik District, Government of Maharashtra ·
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- About Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority · Divisional Commissioner Office, Nashik, Government of Maharashtra ·
- Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, Volume XVI: Nasik (1883), the Sinhasth at Nasik and Trimbak · Government of Bombay, Government Central Press; scan by Cornell University Library on the Internet Archive ·
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- Thousands throng Kumbh Mela at Nashik · Deccan Herald (Mrityunjay Bose) ·
- Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027 Dates Announced · Patrika (Patrika Desk) ·
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- Nashik: Trimbakeshwar Waterlogged After 245 mm Of Rain In 24 Hours; Roads Turn Into Rivers · Free Press Journal ·
