Kumbh Mela 2027: Haridwar and Nashik Dates and Snan Days

1. What is the Kumbh Mela?

The Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage built around one act: a bath in a sacred river on days the calendar marks as especially holy. Pilgrims believe a dip at the right moment washes away sin and brings them closer to liberation. Around that bath grows a vast temporary city of camps, kitchens, akharas of sadhus, discourses and processions.

The festival moves between four places in India: Prayagraj on the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the unseen Saraswati, Haridwar on the Ganga, Ujjain on the Shipra, and Nashik on the Godavari. The Government of India describes these as the four places where, in the story of the Samudra Manthan, drops of amrit, the nectar of immortality, fell to earth as gods and demons fought over it.

The timing is set by the positions of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon. That is why the dates move from one Kumbh to the next, and why each site has its own rhythm.

2. The two Kumbh Melas of 2027 at a glance

2027 is unusual because two of the four sites hold a Kumbh in the same year. In the first months of the year, Haridwar in Uttarakhand hosts its mela on the Ganga. In the monsoon months, Nashik and Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra host the Simhastha Kumbh on the Godavari.

Haridwar: 14 January to 20 April 2027, with ten bathing days and three Amrit Snan days on 6 March, 8 March and 14 April. The dates were announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami with the saints of the 13 akharas in November 2025.

Nashik and Trimbakeshwar: the Simhastha formally began with flag hoisting on 31 October 2026 and closes on 24 July 2028. The official calendar puts the start of the main mela period on 15 June 2027 and the Amrit Snan days on 2 August, 31 August, 11 September at Nashik and 12 September 2027 at Trimbakeshwar.

Both sets of dates are now official. The exact bathing times on each day are fixed by the mela administrations and the akharas, so check the official websites in the week before you travel.

3. Haridwar Kumbh 2027: status and snan days

Strictly, the 2027 mela in Haridwar is an Ardh Kumbh, the half Kumbh held about six years after a full Kumbh. Haridwar's last full Kumbh was in 2021, and the one before that in 2010. Uttarakhand has said it will hold the 2027 event on the scale of a Purna Kumbh, and it uses the name Haridwar Kumbh Mela 2027 on its official website and logo. The Chief Minister has said that for the first time, sadhus and saints will take Amrit Snan during an Ardh Kumbh.

The ten bathing days are Makar Sankranti on 14 January, Mauni Amavasya on 6 February, Basant Panchami on 11 February, Magh Purnima on 20 February, Mahashivratri on 6 March, Phalgun Amavasya on 8 March, Nav Samvatsar on 7 April, Mesh Sankranti on 14 April, Ram Navami on 15 April and Chaitra Purnima on 20 April 2027.

The three Amrit Snan days, when the akharas process to the river in order, are 6 March, 8 March and 14 April. These will be the most crowded days. Har Ki Pauri is the main ghat, and Uttarakhand is building new ghats and expanding others to spread the crowds. Our Haridwar Kumbh Mela 2027 guide covers the ghats, travel and stays in detail.

4. Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha 2027: status and Amrit Snan days

The Nashik Kumbh is called the Simhastha because it begins when Jupiter enters Simha, the sign of Leo. It is a twin mela held at two places about 30 km apart: Ramkund on the Godavari in Nashik city, and Kushavarta Kund in Trimbakeshwar, where the river is believed to re-emerge near its source. The last Simhastha was held in 2015 and 2016.

President Droupadi Murmu hoisted the main flag at Ramkund on 31 October 2026, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hoisted the Dharma Dhwaj at Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar. That ceremony opened a period that runs until the flag is lowered on 24 July 2028.

The dates most pilgrims need are the Amrit Snans: 2 August 2027, 31 August 2027, and the third Amrit Snan on 11 September at Nashik and 12 September 2027 at Trimbakeshwar. A Nagar Pradakshina, a procession around Nashik, is listed for 29 July 2027. Our Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027 guide explains both sites and how to reach them.

The Nashik Kumbh is called the Simhastha because it begins when Jupiter enters Simha, the sign of Leo.

5. The Kumbh cycle explained

A full Kumbh comes to each of the four sites about once every 12 years, roughly the time Jupiter takes to circle the Sun. The official Kumbh portal links each site to a sky position: Haridwar when Jupiter enters Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries, Nashik when Jupiter moves into Leo, Ujjain when Jupiter is in Leo and the Sun enters Aries, and Prayagraj when the Sun is in Capricorn with Jupiter in Taurus or Aries.

An Ardh Kumbh, or half Kumbh, is held between full Kumbhs at Haridwar and Prayagraj, about six years apart. At Prayagraj the 12 yearly full Kumbh is called the Maha Kumbh, and the Government of India also describes a rarer Maha Kumbh that comes once every 144 years at Prayagraj.

Because each site follows its own sky position, the gaps are not always exactly 12 years. That is why it is worth checking the official announcements rather than counting forward from the last mela.

6. After Prayagraj 2025: what comes next

The last great Kumbh was the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj, held from 13 January to 26 February 2025. The Government of India reported that it was expected to draw 45 crore devotees in 45 days and passed 66 crore by the concluding day. The government described it as the world's largest peaceful gathering.

Prayagraj holds the Magh Mela at the Sangam every winter. Its next Ardh Kumbh is expected in 2031, and Uttar Pradesh said during the 2025 Maha Kumbh that preparations had already begun. Ujjain's next Simhastha on the Shipra is due in 2028. The Madhya Pradesh government has reported a main period of 9 April to 8 May 2028, so confirm that closer to the time.

7. How to plan your Kumbh 2027 trip

Choose your mela first. Haridwar suits winter and spring travel and pairs well with Rishikesh. Nashik suits a late monsoon trip and pairs well with the Jyotirlinga at Trimbakeshwar and other temples in Maharashtra.

Then decide whether you want an Amrit Snan day or a quieter day. Amrit Snan days bring the akhara processions and the deepest sense of occasion, but also closed roads, long walks from parking areas and very dense crowds. Many families, older pilgrims and first time visitors are happier bathing on an ordinary day of the mela and watching the akharas on television.

Book rooms or tents early, because Haridwar and Nashik both have limited hotel stock. Carry photo ID, travel light, fix a meeting point with your group, and follow the one way routes set by the police. At 31° North we plan Kumbh trips around these quieter days for families who want the bath without the crush.

Frequently asked questions