Gangasagar Mela

• 16 Jan 2025

Source: TH 

The annual Gangasagar Mela is being organised in West Bengal and the state government has introduced several initiatives to enhance the Gangasagar Mela experience, including: 

• Bandhan Initiative: Pilgrims receive a certificate in three languages. 
• e-Anushandhan: System for accessing mela facilities. 
• e-Parichay: QR code-enabled identity bands to prevent missing persons. 

Additionally, the state has been advocating for "national mela" status for the Gangasagar Mela for several years. 

About Gangasagar Mela: 

• Gangasagar Mela is an annual religious festival held on Sagar Island, West Bengal, at the confluence of the Ganga and Bay of Bengal.  
• The Ganga river, originating from Gangotri, completes its journey and merges with the Bay of Bengal.  
• The festival, which coincides with Makar Sankranti, involves rituals like taking a holy dip in the Ganga, offering "Arghya" to the Sun God, and performing "Deepdan" (lighting lamps) to seek liberation and spiritual upliftment. 
• It is considered the second-largest religious gathering in India after the Kumbh Mela. 
• The fair is historically mentioned in the Mahabharata's Vana Parva and Raghuvamsa (by Kalidasa), with evidence of the pilgrimage dating back to 1500–2000 BC, and is associated with the sage Kapilmuni and the Pala dynasty’s King Devapala. 

 

Read More: Bangla for Classical Language, GangaSagar Mela for National Status