Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 22 : Amid preparations for Nashik Kumbh Mela 2027, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday had approved the requirement of eight new roads, including the Ring Road and the road to Trimbakeshwar.
Devendra Fadnavis said, "I had written to the Prime Minister for the preparation of the national highway network for the Mahakumbh in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar 2027. Today, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari held a meeting regarding this in Nagpur. We demanded 8-9 new roads, which were approved today including Ring Road and road to Trimbakeshwar. He has also approved the repairing and widening all six roads leading to Nashik."
Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan said that Rs 3700 crore had been approved for infrastructure development ahead of the Nashik Kumbh Mela.
Girish Mahajan said, "Today we did a meeting regarding the Kumbh Mela preparations with the Union minister Nitin Gadkari and CM Devendra Fadnavis. The Kumbh that happened 12 years ago, 3-4 times more people will come this time, and for that we need to do big planning. We have to expand the national highways. Around Rs 3,700 crore will be spent on this, and in 2-3 months, the work will also start and the road leading to Nashik and Trimbakeshwar will be widened."
The upcoming Nashik Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027 will witness a significant traditional change, as the age-old practice of 'Shahi Snan' or royal bath will be replaced with 'Amrit Snan' for the first time.
This decision was made during a meeting of the Akhara Parishad and the Kumbh Mela organisers with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nashik on June 1.
"The Kumbh Mela is held at four locations across the country Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik and it takes place based on where the drops of Amrit fell. The term Shahi Snan was introduced during the Mughal era. Therefore, this tradition is now being changed, and the Shahi Snan will henceforth be referred to as Amrit Snan. This decision was taken after discussions during a meeting between all 13 Akharas and the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nashik," Mahant Bhakti Charan Das, spokesperson of All India Vaishnav Akhara told ANI.
The move aims to infuse the event with a deeper spiritual and religious essence, steering it away from the display of grandiosity and power. Saints from various Akharas have stressed that the bathing ritual should symbolise spiritual discipline rather than royal pageantry.