31 October in Trimbakeshwar: President to Do a 12-Minute Godavari Puja at Kushavarta at 2 PM, Report Says; Shankaracharya to Hoist the Flag; Passes and Seating Plan for Nashik

Our 24 October report covered the Governor's invitation and the helicopter landing sites. Since then, local papers have described what the President is expected to do in Trimbakeshwar and how Nashik will seat and move the crowd. All of it is reported. Rashtrapati Bhavan has not published the President's itinerary, and timings can change.

The President in Trimbakeshwar (REPORTED)

According to Sarkarnama (eSakal, 24 October):

• President Droupadi Murmu will attend both the Nashik and the Trimbakeshwar ceremonies.
• At about 2 PM she is to perform a 12-minute Godavari puja at Kushavarta, then a 15-minute puja in the Trimbakeshwar temple.
• The puja is to be led by Manoj Thete, president of the Trimbakeshwar Purohit Sangh.
• Before the President arrives, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife are to perform the puja of the flag.
• The flag at Kushavarta is to be hoisted by the Shringeri Shankaracharya, Vidhushekhara Bharati. Navbharat reported the same plan on 4 September.
• Kushavarta has little space, so only about 100 people are to be at the ceremony. Akhada sadhus are to sit in the same row as the Chief Minister and the Shankaracharya. Only municipal councillors, with their spouses, are to be invited from the local body.
• Some councillors were unhappy about their seats. Collector Ayush Prasad has since fixed a place for them near the flag mast, the paper says.
• Thete calls the day a "trikhand yoga" that comes after 65 to 70 years.

Sources differ

• Sarkarnama: the Shankaracharya hoists the flag at Kushavarta; the President comes to Trimbak for the 2 PM puja.
• Pudhari and Aapla Nashik 24 (from NTKMA information, 24 October): the President hoists the flag at Ramkund, and the Governor and the Chief Minister are present at Kushavarta.

These can both be true, since the President can be at only one place at 12:02 PM. Whether the Governor goes to Trimbak has not been confirmed.

Trimbak before the day (REPORTED)

• Kushavarta refill: the kund holds about 9 lakh litres. It is to be filled from the Gangasagar lake, opposite the Sant Nivruttinath samadhi temple (Sarkarnama).
• Friday 30 October, 4 PM: a procession (shobha yatra) from Kushavarta via the Trimbakeshwar temple to the municipal council office, with tribal groups and people of all faiths (Sarkarnama).
• Sadhus arriving: Navbharat (25 October) says saints have started reaching the akhadas. Mahant Satyagiri Maharaj of the Avahan Akhada was expected on Saturday evening. A large mandap is going up on Teli Galli.
• Security is focused on Kushavarta, the Teli Galli road, Main Road and the temple area (Navbharat).
• Monkeys: the forest department caught 12 monkeys near Kushavarta on Friday 23 October, from a troop of 18 to 20, under range forest officer Shekhar Devkar. They are to be released in a nearby sanctuary (Navbharat).
• Temple-area roads: the Times of India adds that the National Monument Authority approved road repairs, widening and beautification. Three other proposals (waiting rooms with toilets, covered pathways and a Vidhi Bhavan) will get final approval once technical documents are submitted, Collector Ayush Prasad said.

Nashik: passes, seating and buses (REPORTED)

At a review meeting on 24 October, Kumbh Commissioner Shekhar Singh asked for the following, according to Prahaar:

• Passes for dignitaries, elected representatives, officials, organisations and media.
• Seating by category, with the area in front of the main stage kept clear.
• Group buses from major government offices to bring staff.
• Maps of parking, drop points, entry gates and routes, plus signboards and short animated guide videos.
• A separate crowd plan for the evening Goda aarti at Ramkund.
• Emergency routes kept open throughout.

The pass system and maps have not been published. As of 24 October, the police had not issued a traffic notice for 31 October.

What this means for you

• If you want to be at Kushavarta at 12:02 PM, expect very little room. The kund area is being kept for about 100 invitees. Watch from the lanes and ghats around it, and follow police instructions.
• Expect security and closures in Trimbak from about midday to mid-afternoon if the President's 2 PM visit goes ahead.
• The 30 October evening procession in Trimbak is a good time to see the Simhastha start without the 31 October restrictions.

Programme, parking and live updates: Dhwajarohan 2026 hub. Temple timings and passes: Trimbakeshwar temple on 31 October.