When does Kumbh Mela start?
There isn't one single "start" — a Kumbh has an administrative opening, a ritual beginning, and a Kalpavas start, and they don't fall on the same day.
Short answer
The current cycle's Kumbh formally started on 31 October 2026, when the Dhwajarohan (flag-hoisting) opened the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh. Its principal Amrit Snan bathing days — the part most people mean by "start" — begin on 2 August 2027.
Administrative start
Dhwajarohan — the formal flag-hoisting that opens the mela grounds and registers the start of its ritual calendar. For 2026–27, this fell on 31 October 2026.
Ritual peak start
The first Amrit Snan — the date most pilgrims and media coverage treat as the "real" start, since it's when the largest crowds and main ceremonies begin.
Kalpavas start
The point at which devoted pilgrims begin their month-long riverside austerity period — typically timed to a Purnima (full moon) shortly after Dhwajarohan.
How the start date is fixed
Same method, three different milestones
All three start dates come from the same underlying calculation — Jupiter's position fixes the year and city, and the Panchang narrows it to specific days — but they mark different moments within that window.
Dhwajarohan comes first
Set months ahead of the main bathing days, usually timed to a significant lunar date, to give pilgrims and Akhadas time to establish camp before the crowds peak.
Kalpavas begins soon after
Pilgrims observing the full Kalpavas vow typically begin on the nearest Purnima following Dhwajarohan, continuing for a lunar month.
The first Amrit Snan follows later
Often weeks or months after the grounds open, timed to the specific tithi considered most spiritually significant for that city's cycle.
This cycle, in order
Nashik–Trimbakeshwar 2026–27
31 Oct 2026 — Dhwajarohan, official commencement
2 Aug 2027 — First Amrit Snan
31 Aug 2027 — Second Amrit Snan
11–12 Sep 2027 — Third Amrit Snan
Every start date, one place
Kumbh start dates — current cycle and recent history
| Year | City | Start (Dhwajarohan) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026–27 | Nashik–Trimbakeshwar | 31 Oct 2026 | Purna Kumbh |
| 2027 | Haridwar | Provisional, early 2027 | Ardh Kumbh |
| 2025 | Prayagraj | 13 Jan 2025 (Paush Purnima) | Maha Kumbh |
| 2021 | Haridwar | 14 Jan 2021 (Makar Sankranti) | Kumbh (scaled back) |
| 2016 | Ujjain | 22 Apr 2016 | Simhastha (Purna) |
| 2015 | Nashik–Trimbakeshwar | 14 Jul 2015 | Simhastha (Purna) |
Haridwar's 2027 Dhwajarohan date is provisional pending confirmation by the Akhada Parishad. See Upcoming Kumbh Mela Dates for the full long-range calendar.
Related reading
See when this cycle actually concludes on our Kumbh Mela End Date page, browse every principal bathing date on Amrit Snan Dates, or see the full long-range calendar on Upcoming Kumbh Mela Dates.