As curtains draw on the grand Maha Kumbh 2025 of Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, the immediate question that comes to many is over the next Kumbh Mela’s dates.
The Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj concluded on Wednesday, February 26, logging a footfall of over 66 crore visitors, as per the state government. The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 concluded with the final holy dip on the Mahashivratri.
When is the next Kumbh Mela?
Maharashtra’s Nashik is set to host the Kumbh in 2027. The Nashik Kumbh in 2027 is slated to take place from July 17 to August 17, 2027, according to information HT has been able to access. This Kumbh will take place at Trimbakeshwar, located approximately 38 km from Nashik, along the sacred banks of the Godavari River.
The origin of the Kumbh Mela traces back to the Rigveda, one of the oldest Hindu scriptures. It is believed that the term ‘Kumbh’ refers to a pitcher containing the elixir of immortality that surfaced during the ‘Sagar Manthan’ or churning of the cosmic ocean. During a 12-day celestial battle, equivalent to 12 human years, drops of the nectar fell at four locations—Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain—forming the sites of the Kumbh Mela.
There are various kinds of Kumbh Melas, with one or the other occuring every three years and are held at Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik, and Ujjain. The fair that takes place every four years is called Kumbh Mela, the one that occurs every six years is called Ardh Kumbh Mela. Similarly the one that comes after every 12 years is called Purna Kumbh Mela and the one currently underway at Prayagraj is termed the Maha Kumbh Mela, believed to be taking place after a gap of 144 years.
The Nashik Kumbh of 2027 will be an ‘Ardh Kumbh’.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday directed the formation of an authority for the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik-Trimbakeshwar, underscoring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to manage crowd, news agency PTI quoted officials on Wednesday.
During the day, Devendra Fadnavis chaired a review meeting here on the preparations for the mega religious gathering. Nashik Divisional Commissioner Pravin Gedam made a presentation on the observations of a team from the state that visited the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, an official release said.