Over 1.3 crore pilgrims visit Sagar island

Gangasagar Island continued to witness an overwhelming influx of pilgrims on Thursday, the second day of the holy bath following the main Makar Sankranti Shahi Snan, as the auspicious period extended this year.

According to official estimates, around 1.30 crore pilgrims from across the country had visited Gangasagar till Thursday to take a ritual dip at the Sagar Sangam ~ the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal ~ and to offer prayers at the Kapil Muni temple. State power and housing minister Aroop Biswas, who was present at the site, said that one pilgrim, identified as Mritunjay Kumar Singh (61), from Bihar died of a heart attack during the pilgrimage. He added that elaborate arrangements had been made to manage the massive footfall and ensure the safety of devotees. “Nearly 11 lakh pilgrims have been issued certificates for visiting Gangasagar. Thursday was the last day for the holy bath during the extended Shahi Snan yoga, which is why a large number of devotees arrived even today to take the holy dip,” Mr Biswas said. Despite biting cold, dense fog and low visibility during the early hours, lakhs of pilgrims thronged the beach since pre-dawn, chanting sacred hymns and immersing themselves in the icy waters as part of their spiritual observance.

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As per Hindu belief, bathing at the Sagar Sangam during Makar Sankranti is believed to cleanse one of sins accumulated over several lifetimes and pave the way for salvation. Apart from the ritual bath, many pilgrims performed shraddha, pind daan and tarpan on the sandy shore in memory of their ancestors. The religious fervour was further heightened by the presence of Jagadguru Swami Sri Nischalananda Saraswati, the 145th Shankaracharya of the Govardhan Peeth in Puri, who took a holy dip on Thursday. Ministers Pulak Roy, in-charge of public health engineering (PHE) and Sujit Bose, minister for fire and disaster management, also participated in the sacred bath.

The Gangasagar Mela grounds were abuzz with religious activities, with naga sadhus and saints from various akharas drawing large crowds of devotees. The South 24-Parganas district administration deployed a large contingent of police, civil defence personnel, disaster response teams and lifeguards along the beach. CCTV cameras and drones were used for real-time surveillance, while riverine transport was also closely monitored to prevent mishaps. By Thursday afternoon, thousands of pilgrims began their return journey to their native states.

The district administration announced that a massive beach-cleaning drive would be undertaken on Friday from 11 a.m, involving around 3,000 beach guards, to restore the shoreline after the conclusion of the peak bathing days.