Talking to the media after the meeting in Nashik, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "We are making elaborate plans and ensuring there is no stampede." (File Photo)The Simhastha Kumbh Mela at Nashik will commence from October 31, 2026. The religious event in the pilgrimage temple town Trimbakeshwar in district Nashik will be of longer duration concluding on July 28, 2028.Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday held a meeting with religious/ spiritual leaders/ groups on plans and preparations for the kumbh mela.Talking to the media after the meeting in Nashik, Fadnavis said, “We are making elaborate plans and ensuring there is no stampede.All the necessary infrastructure and amenities including giving adequate space and opportunity to devotees for holy bath on important days are being well planned and considered. The kumbh mela is a very sacrosanct and we want to make it on a grand scale keeping pilgrims’ comforts.”The state government has already issued tenders worth Rs 4000 crore for preparations. In addition Rs 2000 crore more will be issued, he revealed.As part of the preparations, Fadnavis said they discussed keeping Godavari’s riverbanks clean and to ensure adequate flow of water, along with other civic issues ,like sewage treatment plants, transportation facilities, crowd management, etc.The Kumbh Mela will go on for a longer duration which will help in better crowd dispersal and management. Given the space restrictions in some of the river banks during important dates, where devotees throng for holy dip, Fadnavis said they would take all measures to avoid stampedes.The Simhastha Kumbh Mela will begin on October 31, 2026 with ‘Dhwajarohan’ (flag hoisting) at Trimbakeshwar as well as Ramkund and Panchvati and will be underway till July 24, 2028.Story continues below this adOn July 29, 2027, ‘Nagar Pradakshina’ will be held at Nashik, while the first ‘Amrut Snan’ will be held on August 2, 2027.The second Amrut Snan will be held on August 31, 2027 and the third and the last one will be held in Nashik on September 11, 2027 and on September 12, 2027 at Trimbakeshwar.The flag will be taken down on July 24, 2028, which will mark the conclusion of Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which is held once in 12 years.Fadnavis said the meeting was attended by seers of all 13 main “akhadas” and representatives of the Purohit Sangh.At the meeting, details were provided on the works being carried out by the state government for organising the mega event which is among the largest in the world, Fadnavis added.“The work on the sewage treatment plant (STP), cleaning of Godavari river and land acquisition for ‘Sadhugram’ are in progress as well,” Fadnavis said.Story continues below this ad“It is our endeavor to make Simhastha Kumbh Mela memorable and spiritual enriching. We are leaving no stone unturned. We urge devotees not to rush. As there will be a lot of time for everybody’s participation in Nashik kumbh mela,” said Fadnavis.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Kumbh Mela