About Gangasagar Mela

About Gangasagar Mela

Gangasagar Mela is held every January on Sagar Island in West Bengal, where the river Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal. On Makar Sankranti, lakhs of pilgrims take a holy dip at the meeting of the river and the sea and pray at the Kapil Muni temple near the shore.

The legend tells of King Sagar, whose sixty thousand sons were burnt to ashes by the sage Kapil. Many generations later, his descendant Bhagiratha prayed until the Ganga came down from heaven, and her water touched the ashes here and freed their souls. So the place is called Gangasagar.

Pilgrims come from every corner of India and from Nepal, crossing the river by ferry and staying in camps by the sea. They bathe at dawn, float lamps and flowers on the water, offer coconuts and give alms. An old saying goes, "All other pilgrimages again and again, Gangasagar just once."

After the Kumbh, it is one of the largest gatherings of pilgrims in India. The state sets up camps, medical help and boats, and many families send wishes to relatives who make the journey.