The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2026 officially began on October 31, 2026, with a traditional flag-hoisting (Dhwajarohan) ceremony. In a remarkable display of faith and devotion, 6,500 people from 650 villages came together to perform the Godavari Aarti in Nashik, Maharashtra, creating a Guinness World Record. The grand spiritual gathering turned the riverfront into a spectacle of devotion, with thousands of participants joining hands for the collective prayer.
Nashik's Godavari Aarti Sets A Guinness World Record
The Simhastha Kumbh Mela began in Nashik on Saturday, October 31, with a large-scale Tribal Simhastha Maha Aarti held in the Ramteerth and Godaghat areas along the Godavari River.
Approximately 6,500 people from 650 tribal villages across Nashik district gathered to perform the Maha Aarti of the Godavari simultaneously, aiming to establish a Guinness World Record. Representatives from Guinness World Records were present at the venue to authenticate the attempt.
According to the organisers, the gathering surpassed a previous international record in which 3,800 women performed an Aarti together.
Kumbh Mela Officially Begins In Nashik
The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2026 began at 12:02 pm, when President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Simhastha Maha Kumbh with a ceremonial flag-hoisting in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.
The Maha Aarti followed at 4 pm, with thousands of lamps lit along the riverbank and conch shells blown as part of the ceremony. The event was organised in collaboration with the Ananta Vijay Shankhnaad Sanstha, Ramteerth Godavari Seva Samiti and the Purohit Sangh.
The Aarti was performed once again in the evening in the presence of the President.
