At the ancient stone threshold of one of Hinduism's holiest shrines, President Droupadi Murmu offered a formal puja and aarti at the Shri Kshetra Trimbakeshwar Temple in Nashik on Saturday, 31 October 2026 — and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was at her side for every sacred moment.

Fadnavis shared the visit on X, writing in English, Marathi, and Hindi: 'Had the privilege of accompanying Honourable President Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji... for the divine darshan at Shri Kshetra Trimbakeshwar Temple in Nashik.' He noted that the President performed the vidhivat puja aur aarti (ritual puja and aarti) and that he personally prayed for 'the happiness, prosperity and well-being of everyone.'

One of the twelve Jyotirlingas — and why Nashik carries special weight

Trimbakeshwar is among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines — the most sacred Shiva temples in India — making it a site of enormous religious significance for Hindu devotees across the country. Nestled in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, the temple draws millions of pilgrims annually, a number that swells dramatically in Kumbh years. The post's hashtags — #SimhasthaKumbhMela and #NashikKumbhMela — point directly to the Simhastha Kumbh Mela cycle associated with Nashik, a grand pilgrimage gathering held every twelve years at the confluence of the Godavari river.

President Murmu's visit and what it signals

President Droupadi Murmu, who took office in July 2022 as India's first President from a tribal community, has made ceremonial visits to religious heritage sites a consistent feature of her engagements across the country. A presidential visit to a Jyotirlinga temple — particularly in the context of Kumbh preparations — carries both spiritual and symbolic resonance: it underscores the constitutional head of state's participation in India's living cultural traditions.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma of Maharashtra also joined the darshan, rounding out a gathering of the state's three highest constitutional functionaries — President, Governor, and Chief Minister — under one temple roof. The visit was timestamped at 3:35 PM, 31 October 2026, at Trimbakeshwar.

CM Fadnavis's role as host and devotee

For Fadnavis, accompanying the President to a major religious site in his home state is both a constitutional courtesy and a culturally resonant gesture. State chief ministers routinely join presidential or gubernatorial visits to significant shrines within their jurisdiction. The trilingual post — reaching audiences in English, Marathi, and Hindi simultaneously — reflects the broad symbolic appeal the visit carries across Maharashtra and beyond.

With Nashik gearing up for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela and infrastructure preparations under watch, a presidential darshan at Trimbakeshwar sends an early, unmistakable signal: this city and this shrine are at the centre of India's sacred calendar.