Ganga Sagar: South 24-Parganas admin to make arrangements for e-darshan, e-snan

Kolkata: The South 24-Parganas administration has decided to make arrangements for e-darshan and e-snan facilities for the upcoming Ganga Sagar Mela in January next year to ensure safety of pilgrims in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the facilities, a devotee will get water from the confluence of river Ganga and Bay of Bengal supplied to their houses if applied online for the same.

Pilgrims can book an online pilgrimage package comprising Ganga Jal in a container, prasad, and the holy tika for e-snan (e-holy dip).

The administration had also made arrangements for e-darshan and e-snan facilities last year.

"Abiding by the Calcutta High Court order, we will make the necessary arrangements for the upcoming Ganga Sagar mela," said P. Ulaganathan, district magistrate South 24-Parganas.

The Mela is held on the Sagar Island in West Bengal in mid-January every year. It is the second-largest congregation of pilgrims in India after the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

Last year, the state government had for the first time made provisions for pilgrims to watch the Mela live on the internet.