Thousands of pilgrims at the Gangasagar Mela are performing the holy dip in the Ganga River to mark the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The Gangasagar Mela is held at South 24 Parganas district’s Sagar Islands where the Ganga River meets the Bay of Bengal.
Makar Sankranti, also known as Poush Sankranti, is the holiest day of Gangasagar Mela, which began on January 9 and will continue till January 17 this year. As a result, Makar Sankranti sees the most number of people visiting Gangasagar. After the punyasnan, devotees make their way to Kapil Muni Ashram to perform puja and make offerings at the temple there.
Gangasagar mela, at Sagar Island pic.twitter.com/fCh4Y4Insm
— Abir Ghoshal (@abirghoshal) January 12, 2025
According to the West Bengal government, more than 55 lakh devotees have already visited this year’s Gangasagar Mela till Monday. Several lakh more are expected to visit the fair on Tuesday for punyasnan.
With the Maha Kumbh Mela also going on simultaneously at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, the West Bengal government had anticipated a lower turnout at Gangasagar this year. However, the figures indicate that there could be a new record in this year’s attendance at Gangasagar.
In a joint press conference held by multiple ministers of West Bengal on Monday, Manas Bhunia, the minister of irrigation and waterways, said, “We are very proud that everyone is praising [the organisation of Gangasagar Mela]. This is coordinated effort led by our chief minister Mamata Banerjee.”
“Every department is working in silence to ensure that visitors get the best experience and we will continue to work till the last day of the mela,” Bhunia said.
Power Minister Aroop Biswas highlighted the growing scale of the event, citing increased electricity demand as evidence of rising attendance. He said, “In 2011, the fair’s electricity load was only 2 megawatts, supplied entirely by generators. This year, the load has risen to 47 megawatts, now sourced from the neighbouring grid.”
To ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims, the government has deployed over 13,000 police personnel. Additionally, 44 watchtowers, 18 anti-crime patrolling teams, 50 foot-patrol teams, 18 missing person squads, two sniffer dogs, 28 river patrolling teams, and 23 coordination teams are working round-the-clock to maintain security throughout the fair, the ministers said.
