No Private Vehicle Gets Past the Outer Ring on Amrit Snan Days: Three-Tier Parking Plan for Nashik Kumbh 2027 Takes Shape

Nashik, 10th June 2026: For the millions of pilgrims driving into Nashik and Trimbakeshwar during Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027, the journey to the Godavari will end at a parking lot. From there, buses take over.

The Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA) has drawn up a three-tier parking framework that will keep private vehicles out of the city core on Amrit Snan days, with pilgrims transferred entirely via dedicated shuttle buses for the final leg to the ghats.

The plan covers 46 parking locations across approximately 888 hectares in Nashik and 26 locations across approximately 671 hectares in Trimbakeshwar, with a combined targeted capacity of approximately 3 lakh equivalent car spaces. These figures are current planning estimates and will be revised as the project progresses.

The three-tier structure works as follows. The outermost tier, Outer 1, acts as contingency parking backup. While outer captures private vehicles arriving at city entry points on Parvani days. The innermost tier, Inner Parking, is accessible only via dedicated MSRTC shuttle buses and serves as the final transfer point before the pedestrian-only ghat zones. On peak Amrit Snan days, only outer and outer 1 parking will be operational, with the entire inner city effectively private vehicle-free.

The parking infrastructure has been designed with separate zones for two-wheelers, four-wheelers, and buses, along with essential visitor amenities at each location. The plan draws lessons directly from Kumbh 2015, with a review of operational gaps from that edition informing the identification of new parking locations along major arterial corridors for 2027.

NTKMA Commissioner Shekhar Singh said the parking framework was central to the overall pilgrim experience. “A pilgrim who has travelled hundreds of kilometres to take the Amrit Snan should not spend those final kilometres stuck in traffic. The three-tier system ensures that from the moment a pilgrim parks, the rest of the journey is managed for them,” he said.

The parking network is integrated with the broader mobility plan, which includes approximately 3,000 MSRTC buses on peak days and shuttle circuits connecting outer parking zones to ghat drop points across both cities.

46 parking locations in Nashik across approx. 888 hectares

26 parking locations in Trimbakeshwar across approx. 671 hectares

Approx. 3 lakh ECS combined targeted capacity

Three tiers: Outer 1, Outer, Inner

Inner city vehicle-free on Amrit Snan days

Separate zones for two-wheelers, four-wheelers and buses

Integrated with approx. 3,000 MSRTC buses on peak days

These figures are current planning estimates and will be revised as the project progresses.