Tension gripped Gangasagar in South 24-Parganas on Wednesday morning after a local BJP leader was shot at by unidentified assailants near Sreedham bus stand under the Gangasagar Coastal police station area.
The journey will begin from Delhi Safdarjung and would cover Varanasi, Kolkata, Gangasagar, Puri, Bhubaneswar, Konark, Chilika and Baidyanath Dham before returning back to Delhi.
At least four persons in various forms of distress were either rescued or assisted by amateur radio (HAM) operators over the last five days at the Gangasagar Mela.
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.
Invoking Rabindranath Tagore’s evocative lines from “Bharat Tirtha”, where the poet described India as a sacred land of countless pilgrimages, Gangasagar stands out as one of the most revered confluences of faith.
With the country’s second largest congregation kicking off, two transit points leading to the Gangasagar venue, including Namkhana and Kakdwip have got a makeover by Sealdah division.
The holy dip for Makar Sankranti will begin on Tuesday at 6.58 a.m. and continue until Wednesday morning.
The South 24 Parganas district administration expects around 50 lakh devotees to attend this year's Gangasagar Mela. The fair officially commenced on Friday.
In a significant move to ensure the safety and well-being of lakhs of pilgrims attending the iconic Gangasagar Mela, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed five specialized search and rescue teams.
State transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty while answering to the Media said the central government has always deprived the state. Nearly a crore of devotees visit Gangasagar Mela every year.
