Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar: Guide

The Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of pilgrims in the Hindu tradition. Millions come to bathe in a sacred river at a fixed time, to meet sadhus and teachers, to listen to discourses and to take part in a festival that has no single organiser and no entry ticket. In 2027 it is the turn of Nashik and Trimbakeshwar on the Godavari, where it is called the Simhastha, after the sign of Simha, or Leo. This page explains what the Kumbh is, why it moves from place to place, how the Nashik rule works, and what to do while the official dates are awaited.

What the Kumbh is

The word kumbha means a pot. The tradition tells of the churning of the cosmic ocean by gods and demons, from which a pot of amrita, the nectar of immortality, rose up. While the pot was carried away, drops are said to have fallen at four places: Haridwar on the Ganga, Prayagraj at the meeting of the Ganga, Yamuna and the unseen Sarasvati, Nashik on the Godavari, and Ujjain on the Shipra. Those four are the Kumbh sites. The story is sacred narrative, told in several versions, and the sources people cite for it differ in their details. Historians do not agree on how old the present four-site system is, so we say only that it is a long-established tradition.

The four sites and the twelve-year cycle

Each of the four places holds a Kumbh once in about twelve years, so that one site or another has a Kumbh in most years of the cycle. The twelve years come from Jupiter, which takes a little under twelve years to go once round the zodiac. Each site is tied to a position of Jupiter, and often of the Sun and Moon as well, and the festival falls when that position occurs. Haridwar and Prayagraj also hold a half-cycle festival, the Ardh Kumbh, and Prayagraj holds a larger Maha Kumbh at its own intervals.

Recent Kumbhs were Nashik with Trimbakeshwar in 2015 and 2016, Ujjain in 2016, Haridwar in 2021 and Prayagraj in 2025. Ujjain’s Simhastha follows Nashik’s, in 2028. Dates and arrangements for each are published by the state government concerned.

At Nashik and Ujjain the name Simhastha is used because the key position is Jupiter in Simha. For Ujjain the companion position is usually described as the Sun in Mesha.

The astronomical rule for Nashik

The traditional rule for Nashik is that the Kumbh is held when Jupiter is in Simha. Accounts also bring in the positions of the Sun and Moon, in different words from one source to the next, and those who fix the bathing days weigh them together. This page works out only the part that can be computed plainly: where Jupiter stands in the sidereal zodiac, with the Lahiri ayanamsa, which is the zodiac of the Indian calendar.

We computed it from the site’s own ephemeris for 2026 and 2027, the Swiss Ephemeris data that drives our transits page and the Jupiter transit calculator. Times are in Indian Standard Time.

Two things follow. First, Jupiter is in Simha at the start of 2027, goes back into Karka during its retrograde motion early in the year, and is back in Simha from 26 June to 26 November 2027. Second, because Jupiter reverses, there are two entries into Simha, and which of them the organisers treat as the start of the festival is a matter for the authorities and the akharas, the monastic orders, and not for a calculator.

If you are curious what Jupiter in Leo means in a birth chart, our page on Jupiter in Leo describes it. It has no bearing on whether you should attend.

Bathing dates: what we do and do not say

The main bathing days, called Shahi Snan and in recent years also Amrit Snan, are fixed by the akharas together with the government and then published officially. For the Nashik 2027 Mela the Maharashtra government and the Nashik district administration are the bodies that announce them. We looked for a dated schedule on official Maharashtra government and Nashik administration pages while preparing this guide and found none we could confirm, so we give no bathing dates. Do not rely on a date quoted on a forum, a travel agent’s page or a forwarded message. When the official calendar appears, check it on the administration’s website and read it once more before you book.

Where pilgrims bathe

At Nashik the main bathing place is Ramkund on the Godavari, which tradition links to a stay of Rama and Sita. At Trimbakeshwar, about thirty kilometres away, the bathing place is the Kushavarta kund near the source of the river, beside the Trimbakeshwar jyotirlinga temple. The akharas have their own processions and order of bathing at the two places, and visitors are asked to follow the instructions given on the day.

Planning a visit

• Nearest airport: Nashik (Ozar), with Mumbai and Pune as larger gateways. Nearest railway station: Nashik Road.
• Crowds: the bathing days bring very large numbers. Expect restricted roads, long walks and changes to transport. Travel with a companion and agree a meeting place in case you are separated.
• Stay: book early through official or well-known channels. Be careful about anyone who offers a special bathing slot or a ritual that must be done at once.
• Health: the monsoon can be wet and slippery near the river. If you are elderly, pregnant or unwell, ask your doctor before you go. A pilgrimage is a devotion and not a treatment.
• Etiquette: modest dress, no soap or detergent in the river, and take your waste away. Photography is restricted in some places.

We do not quote timings, fees, or pass and ticket rules, which are set by the authorities. Please read the official websites before you travel.

Related pages

• Pilgrimage guides
• Trimbakeshwar jyotirlinga
• The twelve jyotirlingas
• Char Dham
• Jupiter transit calculator
• The Hindu calendar
• Maha Shivaratri

Frequently asked questions