Nashik has set a Guinness World Record after 517 people performed a simultaneous shankhnaad on the banks of the Godavari at Ramkund, surpassing the previous record of 303 participants set in the United States. The attempt took place at Yashwant Maharaj Patangan on Sunday as part of programmes leading up to the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027.
Guinness World Records representative Rishikesh Nag confirmed the successful attempt after verification. Organisers said registration records, the number of actual participants and compliance with the prescribed performance criteria were checked by two observers before the record was officially declared.
The event was jointly organised by the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela Authority, Anant Vijay Shankhnaad Pathak and the Nashik Municipal Corporation. More than 500 people had registered to participate in the attempt, according to the organisers.
Kumbh Mela minister Girish Mahajan was present at the event and congratulated the participants. He said the achievement brought recognition not only to Nashik and Maharashtra but also to India. Mahajan described the record as a platform to showcase Indian culture and spiritual traditions through collective participation.
The record attempt is among the public programmes being held ahead of the dhwajarohan ceremony for the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The ceremony is scheduled to take place simultaneously at Ramkund in Nashik and in Trimbakeshwar at 12.02 pm on October 31.
Mahajan also used the occasion to underline the scale of the preparations required for the Kumbh Mela. He said the festival would not be the responsibility of only the government, administration, elected representatives or police, but would require the participation of Nashik residents. He called on citizens to welcome pilgrims and support the arrangements for the gathering.
The minister referred to roads, ghats, cleanliness, lighting, traffic management, accommodation, food and guidance services as key areas requiring coordinated preparation. The list points to the operational demands that accompany a large religious gathering across Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, where public agencies will have to coordinate civic services with event management.
Mayor Himgauri Aher, divisional commissioner and Kumbh Mela Authority chairman Praveen Gedam, authority commissioner Shekhar Singh, Nashik Municipal Corporation commissioner Manisha Khatri and district collector Ayush Prasad were among the officials present.
The Guinness record has given the preparations a highly visible public opening, while the next scheduled milestone is the October 31 dhwajarohan ceremony at the two pilgrimage locations. Further arrangements for roads, ghats, sanitation, lighting, traffic, accommodation, food and visitor guidance are being undertaken as Nashik moves towards the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela.
