President Murmu Invited to the 31 October Flag Hoisting; Shinde Says She Has Accepted. Police Rehearse in Nashik

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led a Maharashtra delegation to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday 21 October 2026 and formally invited President Droupadi Murmu to the Simhastha Kumbh Mela flag hoisting (Dhwajarohan) on Saturday 31 October at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar. The invitation is officially confirmed: the state's release was carried by the Times of India, Lokmat, ANI and others, and the CM posted about the meeting himself.

What she has been invited to

According to the official release, the President was invited to the flag hoisting and to these events planned for the same day:

• the Goda Aarti on the Godavari,
• the launch of the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority's website,
• the release of the official Kumbh Mela anthem,
• a coffee-table book on the Kumbh, and
• a commemorative postage stamp.

The delegation included Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Girish Mahajan, Dada Bhuse and Narhari Zirwal, Nashik Mayor Himgauri Aher, Trimbak Nagar Parishad president Triveni Tungar, the Nashik and Trimbakeshwar Purohit Sanghs, the Ramtirth Godavari Seva Samiti, authority chairman Pravin Gedam and Kumbh Mela Commissioner Shekhar Singh. The invitation came as a pop-up box with a gift set of tribal products (Shabari Naturals), a Yeola Paithani, black raisins, cashews and Nashik chivda.

Will she come? Shinde says yes

Speaking to reporters in Delhi afterwards, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the President has accepted the invitation. "President Murmu will attend the flag-hoisting ceremony on October 31," he said, as quoted by the Deccan Chronicle. This is Shinde's on-record statement. Rashtrapati Bhavan has not published her programme, and we have not seen a statement from it. Sakal reported separately on 21 October that she is to perform puja at the Trimbakraj temple in Trimbakeshwar. See Trimbakeshwar temple to stay open on 31 October.

Small difference in the numbers: Shinde said the Kumbh will run for "approximately 22 months", from 31 October 2026 to 24 July 2028. The official NTKMA plan gives 20 months and 3 weeks, closing on 24 July 2028 in Trimbakeshwar and 29 July 2028 in Nashik. The Amrit Snan dates he gave match the official ones: 2 August, 31 August, 11 September (Nashik) and 12 September (Trimbakeshwar) 2027. See Dates.

Police rehearsals in Nashik on 21 and 22 October

Nashik city police, under Commissioner Sandeep Karnik, are holding full-dress rehearsals for the 30–31 October events, Sakal and Pudhari reported. They will test entry and exit, traffic, crowd control and emergency response.

• Wednesday 21 October, 4–7 PM: the Dharmadhwaj Shobhayatra / Nagar Pradakshina route from Tapovan to Ramkund (Ramtirth).
• Thursday 22 October, 11 AM–1 PM: the flag hoisting, with full bandobast.
• Thursday 22 October, 4:30–7:30 PM: the Goda Aarti arrangements at Ramkund.

The two papers differ on where the 22 October rehearsals are. Sakal puts the flag-hoisting rehearsal at Ramtirth and the aarti rehearsal at the Bhaji Bazar ground and Ramkund. Pudhari puts the flag-hoisting rehearsal at the Bhaji Bazar ground and the aarti rehearsal around Ramkund. Either way, expect police and traffic changes around Panchavati and Ramkund on Thursday.

Sakal also gives the main schedule: the Dharmadhwaj procession and Nagar Pradakshina on 30 October, the flag hoisting at Ramtirth in the afternoon of 31 October (12:02 PM muhurat) and the Goda Aarti that evening.

What this means for you

If the President comes, expect VIP security, passes and road closures in both Nashik and Trimbak on 31 October. Separate lanes for VIPs and the public are already planned at Ramkund. Route and parking notices have not been published yet; we will add them to the Dhwajarohan 2026 live hub as they come. For the 25 October conch event, see the Shankhnaad guide.