517 participants create history by surpassing the US record of 303 conch blowers; event marks spiritual beginning of Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2027. Nashik: The sacred banks of the Godavari reverberated with chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” as Nashik achieved a historic milestone with 517 participants blowing conch shells simultaneously, surpassing the previous record of 303 participants from the United States.