President Murmu Performs Dhwajarohan of Nashik Simhastha Kumbh

President Droupadi Murmu was present at the Dhwaj Stambh Pujan, Dhwaja Pujan and Dhwajarohan ceremony of the Simhastha Maha Kumbh at Nashik in Maharashtra on 31 October 2026. The raising of the flag opens the formal run-up to the great gathering, and the President also spoke at a public programme held on the occasion.

A tradition on the Godavari

In her address the President described the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Maha Kumbh as a tradition that is as old as it is rich. She set it beside the three other great Kumbh gatherings of the country, each tied to a river and a city, and said that their unbroken observance across many centuries is itself evidence of the strength of India's historical, cultural, social and spiritual life.

What she said about the Kumbh

The President observed that the gathering of countless devotees at these fairs has for centuries stood as living proof of India's cultural and spiritual oneness and of traditions carried on without a break, and that such fairs are examples of faith and social harmony. She said she was confident that the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Maha Kumbh of 2027 would work as a bridge joining the country's ancient heritage to modern times, and hoped the event would be a fine opening for the younger generation to India's magnificent inheritance and its core values of life.

Drought and the farmers

Turning to the weather, the President noted that people in many parts of the world are facing crises brought on by extreme conditions. In India too, she said, drought has hurt many in several regions including Maharashtra, with farmers affected worst of all. Both the central government and the state government, she added, are making every effort to see that citizens, and farmers in particular, receive support as they work through these difficulties.

Cleanliness at the fair

Stressing the importance of cleanliness and of sensitivity towards the environment, the President urged citizens to keep up sustained effort for conservation, each on their own and all together. She expressed confidence that during the Maha Kumbh at Nashik the work of the fair's management, joined with public participation, would set an outstanding standard of cleanliness and waste management.