Hundreds of Thousands Flock to Gangasagar Mela for Holy Dip During Makar Sankranti

Thousands of pilgrims braved cold weather conditions to participate in a holy dip at Gangasagar, West Bengal, during Makar Sankranti. Their activities were supported by logistics and security arranged by the government on Sagar Island. The event coincided with the Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh.

In West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, lakhs of pilgrims gathered to take a holy dip at the Gangasagar, a revered confluence of the Hooghly river and the Bay of Bengal, in celebration of 'Makar Sankranti' on Tuesday. Despite cold conditions, devotees offered prayers at the Kapil Muni Ashram during the 'Shahi Snan', beginning from 6.58 pm.

The West Bengal government ensured extensive logistics and security on Sagar Island, approximately 100 kilometers from Kolkata, to facilitate the annual ritual coinciding with the harvest festival's onset, an official reported. Tragically, an elderly visitor from Uttar Pradesh died of a cardiac arrest on Sunday at the site.

This year's Gangasagar Mela occurred alongside the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for national recognition of the Gangasagar Mela, seeking a status akin to the Kumbh Mela.

(With inputs from agencies.)