Mamata demands national status for Gangasagar Mela

Sagar Islands: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised the Centre for the latter’s alleged indifference towards Gangasagar Mela and not according it a national status which the state has a right to demand.

Banerjee also urged the management of the Kapil Muni temple to take up the responsibility of creating a concrete structure to block the sea from advancing any further towards the shrine.

“If our party (Trinamool Congress) gets the chance (to form the Central government), I will surely grant national status for Gangasagar Mela which is no lesser than the Kumbh Mela. There shouldn’t be a step-motherly attitude towards Bengal. We will all work together for national status,” Banerjee said during her address at Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Gangasagar on Monday. Her statement assumes significance in the wake of a number of opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc wanting Banerjee to lead the front.

Banerjee further regretted that the Centre supports Kumbh Mela by giving crores of rupees but hardly gives a penny for Gangasagar. “Gangasagar is bordered by the Sunderban forest on one side and the temples, devotees and the sea on the other. It is amazing,” she said at Sagar island.

The second-largest fair after Kumbh Mela, the Gangasagar Mela starts on the pious day of Makar Sankranti which generally takes place between January 14 and 15 every year. Last year, more than 1 crore people took a holy dip at Sagar.

“Kumbh Mela can be reached through road and rail network but for Gangasagar people have to travel through water which is very challenging. We had been urging the Centre for financial assistance for building a bridge on Muriganga River but in vain. We have prepared the project DPR and floated a tender for the bridge. It will take around three years. We have allocated Rs 1,500 crore for the bridge. This will ease travel to Gangasagar,” said Banerjee.

Speaking at the Kapil Muni Temple after offering prayers, she said earlier the temple got swallowed by the sea three times. She observed the present location of the temple is also at risk. She advised the chief priest of the temple, Gyan Das, to utilise 25 per cent of the donations by devotees, most of which is sent to the Kapil Muni Temple in Ayodhya, to build a concrete structure to block the sea water.

Noting that the state’s contribution for developing Gangasagar is immense, the temple trustee informed the media that they will finance the construction for protection of the existing temple.