Nashik Begins Simhastha Kumbh Observances with a Religious Flag Procession

Religious observances for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela began in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra, on 30 October 2026. In Nashik, the consecrated religious flag led a Dharmadhwaj Shobhayatra from Modi Maidan in Panchvati.

Procession and scheduled ceremonies

The procession included four Jagadgurus, chiefs of three Akhadas, local sadhus and mahants, 50 tableaux and more than 30,000 devotees. The flag-hoisting ceremony is scheduled for 31 October at Ramkund in Panchvati, with President Droupadi Murmu slated to hoist the flag. Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, who assumed office on 10 March 2026, is expected to attend. A ceremony with Sringeri Shankaracharya Jagadguru Shri Shri Vidhushekhar Bharati Swami is planned for 1 November.

More than 1,317 VIPs have been invited, including 29 state ministers, the Chief Minister and both Deputy Chief Ministers, 288 Assembly MLAs, 78 Legislative Council members, 48 MPs, 122 Nashik corporators, 17 municipal presidents, 125 officials, 200 Purohit Sangh officials and 300 sadhu-mahant representatives.

Local arrangements

Drone flights and paragliding are prohibited in Nashik district on 30 and 31 October. Seventy-one schools in Panchvati and nearby areas will close on 31 October, while shops along Goda Ghat will shut on both days. Special lighting and LED-screen installations have provided employment to more than 1,200 local youths.

Important Facts for Exams

• Nashik cycle: Nashik and Ujjain hold their Kumbh Melas in the same year or a year apart, typically about three years after Prayag’s.
• Singhasth name: Nashik’s bathing pilgrimage was referred to as a Singhasth mela; the phrase “Kumbh mela” is not found in literature before the 19th century.
• Akhada traditions: The 13 akhadas participating in Kumbh gatherings are broadly grouped into Shaiva, Vaishnava and Udasin orders, representing distinct monastic traditions.
• UNESCO recognition: UNESCO inscribed Kumbh Mela on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.