Gangasagar Mela 2021: Meet held to chart out procedures

Kolkata: The South 24-Parganas district administration on Thursday conducted a meeting in connection with the arrangement of Gangasagar Mela 2021.

"Today, we held the first meeting of Ganga Sagar Mela 2021 with Police, PWD, Irrigation, Transport, BDOs, SDOs, etc. Various aspects of preparation for the mela were discussed in detail keeping the Covid situation in mind," said Dr P Ulaganathan, District Magistrate of South 24-Parganas. He reiterated that enhanced security for pilgrims and clean and green environment were on priority list. Feedback received from last year mela will be analysed and suitable action will be taken to ensure better arrangements for the pilgrims. While joint visits by police, civil and engineers will be done soon to inspect jetties, mela ground, Chemaguri and Namkhana, tenders for barges, pilgrim sheds and vessels will be invited in September. Joint control rooms with police and training will be organised soon. Every year, millions of pilgrims come to the annual Gangasagar fair in January. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visits the mela venue in the first week of January to take stock of the arrangements.

About 150 km from Kolkata in South 24-Parganas district, the Gangasagar Island is considered auspicious and millions of devotees gather on Makar Sankranti to take a holy dip and offer coconuts at the Kapil Muni temple.