Lakhs take holy dip at Gangasagar

Sagar Island (WB): Lakhs of pilgrims took their holy dip at Gangasagar here till Saturday afternoon on the occasion of Makar Sankranti with a section of them ignoring the Covid safety protocol.

The time for the holy dip lasted from the early hours of the morning till 12.30 pm on Saturday afternoon and devotees and sadhus were seen flashing the 'V' sign after taking the holy bath.

A middle-aged pilgrim from Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh was airlifted from the fairground after a sudden cardiac arrest.

West Bengal Power minister Arup Biswas, who is camping at the spot since Wednesday, told reporters that the total number of pilgrims having taken the holy dip on Friday and Saturday could not be ascertained.

However, a South 24-Parganas district official said the total number would be 25 per cent of the 15.5 lakh turnout in the two days of Makar Sankranti last year.

Biswas, who took part in sweeping the beach adjoining the confluence of the Ganga and Bay of Bengal after the holy dip was over by 12:30 pm on Saturday, said 2.88.960 pilgrims took part in e-snan. About 1.19 lakh offered e-puja at the Kapil Muni temple.

A district official said the majority of the pilgrims were from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha and only the fully vaccinated and those who had tested negative for COVID-19 were allowed to enter Sagar Island to attend the fair.

Several pilgrims were seen without masks even though officers and volunteers kept cajoling them to abide by social distancing norms and to wear masks.

There was, however, no untoward incident like drowning at the Gangasagar Mela, considered the biggest religious congregation after the Kumbh Mela.