Nearly 20L pilgrims take holy dip at Gangasagar Mela

Kolkata: Nearly 20 lakh devotees from different corners of the country as well countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh took the holy dip at the confluence of river Ganga and Bay of Bengal on Makar Sankranti on Sunday.

Ganga Sagar Mela is considered as the second largest assembly of people after the quadrennial Kumbha Mela. The devout believe that a dip in the sacred water washes off all sins.

"Nearly 20 lakh devotees took a holy dip in Sagar Island on Sunday, while in the last year around 15 lakh pilgrims had visited the Sagar Mela. All arrangements have been made to organise the programme smoothly," a senior district official said.

Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, who visited Sagar Island on this occasion, echoed the demands of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's who earlier said that the annual Ganga Sagar Mela should be treated at par with the famous Kumbh Mela.

A thick blanket of security cover has been placed at the famous spot. The state government has deployed around 3,000 policemen and also pressed into service seven drones to keep a tab on the security as well as the safety of pilgrims taking the holy dip.

In fact, for the first time, the state government has equipped its officials with satellite phones to ensure uninterrupted connectivity during the Ganga Sagar Mela.

16 satellite phones have been given to the officers who will be on duty at critical locations. Incidentally, the state government has come up with an innovative Sagar Sanjog Scheme, for providing real-time information regarding the movement of transport facilities for people and vehicles too.

The state government has also decided to cover over 100 km route from Babughat in Kolkata to the Sagar Island with 500 CCTVs as a part of its security coverage for the grand annual fair.

The state disaster management department would be getting the live feed from the mela area to help efficiently monitor the proceedings there.

As a part of the security arrangements, the state has also introduced a real-time monitoring system the Tirtha Sathi.

Besides, 60 giant LED screens have been placed at different points through which pilgrims would be updated about the timings and fare tariffs of trains, buses and ferries, tide timings as well as safety precautions.

NDRF boats and deep divers are patrolling 24X7 at all three places inside water and keeping close eyes on pilgrims who are passing through and taking the holy dip at Sagar.