25 Oct Near Devmamledar: Nashik's 501-Conch Shankhnaad (~6 PM)

The short answer: on Sunday 25 October 2026 (Kojagiri Purnima), at about 6 PM, 501 people will blow conch shells together near the Devmamledar grounds on the Godavari in Nashik. It is a world-record attempt; no record has been certified yet. The District Information Office, Nashik and the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) announced it as the first big event before the 31 October flag hoisting.

What is confirmed

NTKMA Commissioner Shekhar Singh and NMC Commissioner Manisha Khatri gave these details at a press conference on 18 October, and the District Information Office, Nashik announced the two planned world records the same day.

• Date: Sunday 25 October 2026, Kojagiri Purnima.
• Time: about 6 PM.
• Venue: near Devmamledar grounds (Patangan) on the Godavari bank in Nashik, close to the Ramkund area.
• Participants: 501, including members of local organisations and NGOs.
• Conches: authentic conch shells are being brought from Chennai.
• Target: to beat a record of 303 people blowing conches together, which the organisers say was set in the USA.

What is reported

• Time differs: Navbharat Live gives the time as 5 PM. The official line is "about 6 PM", so arriving by 5 PM is the safe plan.
• Who the players are: per Navbharat Live, the conch players come from the Anant Vijay Shankhnaad group and have been practising about two hours a day.
• Which record body: on 12 October NTKMA said Guinness World Records would record the Shankhnaad and present the certificate at the flag hoisting (Pudhari). The 18 October announcement says only "world record" and does not name the body.

Why it is only an "attempt"

A record exists only once the record body checks it against its rules (head count, everyone blowing at the same time, duration) and certifies it. So 25 October is the attempt. We will update this post when a result or certificate is announced.

How to attend or watch

• Public entry: there is no official word yet on whether spectators can walk in or whether entry is limited. NTKMA has said residents and tourists will get a chance to witness the moment.
• Parking and traffic: no police traffic notice for 25 October has been published yet. Access around Ramkund is already restricted for flag-hoisting works (Ramkund closure). Park well away and walk in rather than driving into Panchavati's lanes.
• Live stream: an official live-stream link has not been announced yet. We will add it here when it is.
• Kojagiri night: it is also Kojagiri Purnima, so expect bigger crowds than usual on the ghats that evening.

What comes next: 31 October

• Flag hoisting: 31 October at 12:02 PM, at Ramkund (Nashik) and Kushavarta (Trimbakeshwar). The Times of India quotes Shekhar Singh saying there will be another Shankhnaad during the flag hoisting.
• Maha Goda Aarti: the same evening at Ramkund with about 6,500 tribal participants, the second world-record attempt.
• Stamp, website, coffee-table book: reports on 13 October placed these at the Shankhnaad. But the official release of 21 October says the President has been invited to launch the authority's website, the Kumbh anthem, the coffee-table book and the stamp on 31 October.

Follow the day live: Dhwajarohan 2026 live. The original story on both records: two world-record attempts. Every date: Kumbh dates.