Nashik’s 2027 Simhastha Kumbh preparations have come under scrutiny after seers raised concerns about the pace and quality of work at Ramkund and the proposed Sadhugram site in Tapovan, prompting Kumbh minister Girish Mahajan to promise that key infrastructure will be completed before the main Amrit Snan bathing dates.
Mahajan made the assurance during an inspection visit on Thursday, saying works linked to Ramkund, Sadhugram and sewage infrastructure would be completed before the first and second Amrit Snans in August and the third bathing event in September. The Dhwajarohan ceremony is scheduled for October 31, he said, leaving nine months before the first two major bathing dates.
“Although the Dhwajarohan ceremony will be held on Oct 31, there are still nine months to go for the first and second Amrit Snans in Aug and the third in September. All works will be completed before the Amrit Snan days and no work will remain incomplete,” Mahajan said, according to the Times of India report.
The minister said the government was working to meet the deadlines and would provide the facilities required by sadhus arriving for the Kumbh. The works underway are valued at around Rs 2,200 crore and include new sewage treatment plants and sewer lines intended to prevent sewage from entering local nullahs and eventually flowing into the Godavari.
The sewage projects are central to the event’s civic infrastructure because the Kumbh will bring large crowds to riverfront and bathing areas. Mahajan said the government was confident that the river-cleaning measures would be completed in time for the main events, but the report did not provide project-wise completion schedules, contractor details or current progress figures.
Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad spokesperson Mahant Sanjaydas Maharaj questioned both the pace and quality of execution after inspecting the sites. He said land acquisition for Sadhugram had not yet been completed and that several issues remained unresolved.
Sanjaydas also raised concerns about the construction of steps at Ramkund, warning that their current design could create accident risks when large crowds gather. “The manner in which the steps have been constructed raises the possibility of accidents when there is a huge crowd. If the works are not improved, we may have to rethink the Nashik Simhastha,” he said.
Land acquisition for Sadhugram and the safety of access infrastructure will therefore remain key implementation issues alongside the sewage works. The proposed site at Tapovan has also faced controversy over tree felling. Mahajan said the government would comply with court directions on the matter.
“We will not do anything wrong. We will follow the court’s order. If the court directs us not to remove the trees, we will not do so,” he said.
The immediate milestones are the completion of land-related work for Sadhugram, resolution of the concerns raised over the Ramkund steps, compliance with court directions on trees at Tapovan and delivery of the sewage treatment and sewer-line projects before the August and September Amrit Snan dates.
