NEWS – Rising sea level and erosion of the beach in front of the Kapil Muni temple on Sagar Island are turning out to be a damper on the Ganga Sagar Mela

THE GANGA SAGAR MELA

• Annual religious and cultural event held at Sagar Island in the Ganges Delta, where the Ganges River flows into the Bay of Bengal of West Bengal
• Pilgrims gather at the southernmost tip of the island, known as Kapil Muni’s Ashram
• This festival is one of the largest gatherings of pilgrims in India and holds significant religious importance, primarily for followers of Hinduism
• Associated with the Hindu belief that taking a dip at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Makar Sankranti festival cleanses one’s sins
• Usually occurs in mid-January during the Makar Sankranti period, which marks the transition of the sun into the zodiac sign of Capricorn