On Makar Sankranti, lakhs of devotees took a holy dip at Gangasagar. State minister Aroop Biswas mentioned that the auspicious bath began on Tuesday at 6.58 a.m. and will continue until Wednesday at 6.58 a.m. So far, 85 lakh pilgrims have bathed, Mr Biswas said. A massive crowd of devotees has gathered at Gangasagar on this sacred day. Unfortunately, one pilgrim, Ramprasad Giri (54) from Uttar Pradesh, passed away today, bringing the total number of deaths to five.

The flow of pilgrims toward the mela ground began even before the auspicious period. People from various parts of the country gathered at the fairground. The administration and police are on high alert to manage the crowd and prevent any untoward incident. The crowd swelled today for the bath on Sankranti at the holy confluence. Many pilgrims have travelled from the Mahakumbh and will head to Prayagraj next. They believe that Gangasagar offers salvation everywhere, in water, land, and in the skies.

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Dense fog disrupted ferry services in the morning and evening. This time marks the Purna Kumbh at Prayagraj. On Monday, over 1 crore pilgrims took the holy dip. Meanwhile, Gangasagar continues to see an eager influx of devotees, many of whom have set up temporary shelters near the fairground since Monday night. Despite the dense fog and extreme cold, the chants of “Jai Ganga maiya” reverberate as devotees bathe in the sacred waters, seeking salvation. On Makar Sankranti, state ministers Sujit Bose and Rathin Ghosh took a holy dip at Gangasagar. The beach is witnessing Ganga Vandana (worship of the Ganga) and Surya Pranam (salutation to the Sun). The mela ground resonated with the chants of Har Har Mahadev, Ganga Mai Ki Jai, and the jubilant cheers of the pilgrims. To maintain law and order, Sundarbans police district, Gangasagar coastal police station, and another coastal police station at Kakdwip were operational today. Three permanent helipads were constructed, and seven sick individuals were airlifted.