Flagstaff Puja Done at Kushavarta; Trimbakeshwar Temple Closure Still Undecided

Kumbh Mela minister and Nashik guardian minister Girish Mahajan performed the Dhwaja Stambh Pujan (flagstaff worship) at Kushavarta Teerth, Trimbakeshwar, on the morning of Thursday 15 October 2026. The Times of India, PTI and the Free Press Journal all reported it the same day. The ritual ended with a Ganga Aarti. This is a step before the main Dhwajarohan at 12:02 PM on Saturday 31 October, when flags go up together at Ramkund in Nashik and at Kushavarta. See our Dhwajarohan guide.

What Mahajan said (on record)

• Crowd management is the top priority. He told TOI that authorities are planning for gatherings four to five times larger than earlier editions, and that crowded spots like Ramkund and Kushavarta need careful micro-planning.
• Water at Trimbak will be recycled and reused for bathing. He said there will be no shortage, since the Kumbh falls in the monsoon.
• Works should be done by June or July 2027, ahead of the first holy bath in August.
• Departments must finish preparations before the President's planned visit. TOI says invitations have gone to President Droupadi Murmu, the Chief Minister and cabinet ministers. Her attendance is expected but has not been confirmed by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

PTI reported that the new flagstaff is 31 feet tall and carries a Samudra Manthan design.

Kushavarta is still closed

TOI says Kushavarta remains closed to pilgrims while work goes on. The kund is due to reopen around the 31 October ceremony. See Kushavarta closed for renovation.

Will Trimbakeshwar temple close? Not decided

Since about 9 October, Maharashtra Times, Lokmat Times and the Free Press Journal have reported a proposal to close Trimbakeshwar temple to devotees from 15 October to 15 December 2026. The idea is to give contractors room to finish the special darshan path and the temple courtyard.

• Status: proposal only. Lokmat Times said there have only been preliminary talks. No order from the temple trust or the administration had been published as of 16 October.
• If it goes ahead, devotees could miss Dussehra, Diwali and the Tripurari Purnima Rathotsav, Maharashtra Times wrote. It put the possible loss of temple income at about ₹15 crore.
• Traders in Trimbak have raised concerns, since Kushavarta is already shut.

If you are planning a Trimbakeshwar visit in the next two months, check the temple trust's notices before you travel. We will update this post as soon as an official decision is out.

Related: Trimbakeshwar Kumbh 2027 guide, Amrit Snan dates.