President Draupadi Murmu will raise the laced saffron Dharmadwaj on a 51‑foot pole near Ramkund on the Godavari River in Nashik at 12:02 pm on Saturday, 31 October 2026, signalling the official start of the Nashik Kumbh Mela.
Held once every twelve years, the mela will stretch over 21 months, concluding on 24 July 2028, and officials project a footfall of about 12 crore pilgrims. By contrast, the 2025 Prayagraj Kumbh drew roughly 66 crore visitors in just 45 days.
The sacred dip will be offered at two sites – Ramkund in Nashik and Kushavarta in Trimbakeshwar, a temple town 30 km away that houses a jyotirlinga. Splitting the crowd between the two banks of the Godavari should ease pressure on local infrastructure, although the designated Amrit Snan days, beginning with the first on 2 August 2027, are expected to attract denser gatherings.
Maharashtra’s Kumbh in‑charge, Minister Girish Mahajan, highlighted that the 2015 Nashik edition ran on a Rs 350 crore budget without major incidents, while the 2003 event suffered about 40 deaths in a stampede. This time, the state has earmarked more than Rs 3,500 crore to match the spectacle of the recent Prayagraj celebration, even though attendance levels differ.
Work on permanent facilities began roughly eighteen months ago. The Sadhugram for ascetics, widened approach roads, traffic‑management systems, CCTV cameras and a revamped riverfront are still under construction, with a target to finish before pilgrims start arriving a month ahead of the first Amrit Snan in August 2027.
Because the festival will run for nearly two years, police, civic staff and their supervisors must remain on alert far longer than during the shorter Prayagraj event. Residents worry that this prolonged focus could divert essential services away from Nashik’s 2.5 million inhabitants.
Authorities hope that the extended timeline and dual‑venue arrangement will keep daily crowds thin, allowing smoother crowd‑control measures and a safer experience for devotees.
Image: siasat.com
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf