Nearly one crore pilgrims take holy dip at Gangasagar on Makar Sankranti: Official
pilgrims from across the country attended the Gangasagar Mela and took a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal on Makar Sankranti early Monday, a senior official said. Traditionally, every year during Makar Sankranti, lakhs of devotees make their way to Gangasagar in West Bengal's South 24 District to take the ritualistic dip and engage in prayer rituals at the revered Kapil Muni Temple.
«This year, the gathering at Gangasagar has broken all past records with a footfall of nearly one crore.
Nearly a crore pilgrims took a dip in the sacred waters. Additionally, these pilgrims also offered prayers at the Kapil Muni Temple,» a press statement said.
Describing the Gangasagar Mela as one of the world's largest religious congregations, state power minister Aroop Biswas urged the Union government to declare it as a «national fair».
Last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the same request.
However, ferry services to Gangasagar, located in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, faced disruptions for approximately six hours on Monday due to dense fog, according to a police officer.
«Ferry services experienced an interruption from 3.30am to 9:40am because of heavy fog.
The suspension was implemented as a safety precaution,» explained the officer from Sundarbans Police District. Disruptions affected ferry services from Kachuberia and Lot 8.
Superintendent of Police Koteswara Rao confirmed the resumption of ferry services after visibility conditions improved.
