Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027: Amrit Snan Dates and Travel Guide

1. What the Simhastha Kumbh is

Nashik is one of the four Kumbh cities, and its mela comes once every 12 years. It is called the Simhastha because it begins when Jupiter enters Simha, the sign of Leo. The Maharashtra government describes it as a dual Kumbh, because it is held at two places on the same river.

The first is Ramkund, on the Godavari in the old Panchavati quarter of Nashik city. The second is Kushavarta Kund in Trimbakeshwar, about 30 km away, near the source of the Godavari and beside one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. Pilgrims usually try to bathe at both.

The last Simhastha was held in 2015 and 2016. The current one is a long event that runs for almost two years, but the heart of it, the Amrit Snan days, falls between July and September 2027.

2. Key dates from 2026 to 2028

The Maharashtra government announced the schedule on 1 June 2025 at a meeting of seers and mahants from the 13 akharas, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The official Simhastha website lists these key dates:

31 October 2026: Dhwajarohan, the flag hoisting that opens the Simhastha. President Droupadi Murmu hoisted the main flag at Ramkund, and the Chief Minister hoisted the Dharma Dhwaj at Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar. 15 June 2027: start of the main mela period. 29 July 2027: Nagar Pradakshina, the procession around Nashik, with timing still to be notified.

2 August 2027: first Amrit Snan, on Ashadh Somvati Amavasya. 31 August 2027: second Amrit Snan, on Shravan Amavasya. 11 September 2027: third Amrit Snan at Nashik. 12 September 2027: third Amrit Snan at Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar. 24 July 2028: Dhwajavatarana, the lowering of the flag that closes the Simhastha.

Beyond the Amrit Snans, many Ekadashi, Purnima and Amavasya days in the period are also bathing days. PTI reported 44 bathing occasions at Nashik and 53 at Trimbakeshwar. The official site publishes the full snan calendar, and exact times on each day are notified closer to the date.

3. Ramkund and Panchavati in Nashik

Ramkund is a bathing tank on the bank of the Godavari, and the Nashik district administration calls it the holiest spot in the city. Tradition holds that Lord Rama bathed here during his exile, when he lived in the Panchavati forest with Sita and Lakshmana. Families also come to Ramkund to immerse the ashes of their loved ones.

The Ganga Godavari temple is close by, and President Murmu prayed there and at Ramkund before the flag hoisting. On Amrit Snan days the akharas bathe first, so expect the public to be held back while their processions pass.

Ramkund is about 2 to 3 km from the Nashik central bus stand and about 10 km from Nashik Road railway station. The lanes around it are narrow and old, which is why the police will close them to vehicles and run strict one way routes on the main days.

4. Trimbakeshwar and Kushavarta Kund

Trimbakeshwar is a temple town at the foot of the Brahmagiri hills, about 30 km from Nashik by road. Its temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which makes the Simhastha here especially important for devotees of Shiva.

Kushavarta Kund, also called Kushavarta Tirtha, is a stone tank about 21 feet deep in the middle of the town, around 400 metres from the temple. The district administration records that it was built in 1750 and is fed by natural springs. The Godavari is believed to disappear in the Brahmagiri hills and re-emerge here, which gives the kund its special holiness.

Trimbakeshwar is small, and its streets fill very quickly. If you want darshan at the Jyotirlinga as well as a bath, plan them on a different day from the Amrit Snan, and expect long queues even on ordinary days of the mela.

Trimbakeshwar is a temple town at the foot of the Brahmagiri hills, about 30 km from Nashik by road.

5. Getting there

By air: Nashik International Airport at Ozar is about 24 km from the city centre. Mumbai and Pune airports have far more flights, with onward travel to Nashik by road or rail.

By train: Nashik Road is the main station, about 10 km from Ramkund and about 40 km from Trimbakeshwar. For the Simhastha the official website also lists Deolali, Odha, Kherwadi and Kasbe Sukene stations on Central Railway as pilgrim railheads. Expect special trains and very full regular trains around the Amrit Snan dates.

By road: Nashik sits on the Mumbai to Agra highway and is linked to Pune by highway. During the mela, the authorities plan designated parking zones and outer park and ride sites, with official shuttles into the city and to Trimbakeshwar. Be ready to leave your car well outside and walk the final stretch.

6. Where to stay

Nashik has a good range of hotels, and many pilgrims also stay in Trimbakeshwar's dharamshalas and ashrams. Even so, rooms near Panchavati and Trimbakeshwar will sell out early for the Amrit Snan weeks, so book as soon as you know your dates.

The Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority has published rules allowing private landowners to set up serviced tent cities in Nashik district from March to December 2027. Each must provide sanitation, water, power, food, security and an emergency plan. The government is also preparing a Sadhugram, the camp for sadhus and akharas. When we checked in early November 2026 there was no official public booking system for pilgrim tents, so confirm any tent booking against the official Simhastha website.

Staying in Nashik and making a day trip to Trimbakeshwar, or the reverse, works well on ordinary days. On Amrit Snan days stay in the town where you plan to bathe.

7. Crowd tips and the best time to go

The Amrit Snan days of 2 August, 31 August, 11 September and 12 September will be the most crowded of the whole Simhastha. If you are travelling with children or elderly parents, choose an ordinary bathing day in the main mela period instead, from mid June onwards, when the ghats are busy but calmer.

The main dates fall in the monsoon, so pack a light rain jacket, quick drying clothes and footwear with good grip for wet stone steps. The Godavari can run high and fast after heavy rain, so bathe only at ghats with lifeguards and barriers and follow every instruction from the police and volunteers.

Fix a meeting point with your group, carry photo ID and a written phone number for every child, and do not stop on bridges or in narrow lanes. In an emergency call 112. Many pilgrims combine the Simhastha with other temples in Maharashtra, and 31° North can help you plan a calm route that avoids the peak days.

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