Back from the Ganga Sagar : Siddhartha Singha
The Bay of Bengal means the temple of Kapilmuni. And at the root of its world-wide fame is the holy bath and fair here on the day of Capricorn. At that time, in the dust of the feet of millions of people, this place became a meeting place.
Apart from the Kapilmuni temple, this beach on the Ganges is no less interesting. You can go to Gangasagar at any time. Excluding those few days of the fair, the Ganges is quite secluded and secluded. From the front of the temple, the lonely dune goes straight into the sea. Here the sea does not break a wave very much. He came forward with an arrow and wet his feet. You can go down to the bottom of the sea on foot. Knee water from soaked feet. If you wish, you can take a bath easily.
At one time, red crabs used to play freely here. As soon as he sensed someone coming forward by pressing his foot, he would sink into the small hole of Baliapi. Now they can be seen. However, the number is much less.
Standing on the shore and looking at the end of the sea, one can see how the sky and the sea have become one in harmony. In the eye — away, on the horizon, one, two, three…. Lots and lots of boats and trawlers. Went fishing in the deep sea.
At the confluence of the Ganges River (Hooghly River) and the Bay of Bengal, the archipelago covers an area of 560 sq km with a total of 51 islands. Waiting for a couple of new ones to emerge. The Gangasagar Mela is an annual fair held at the Kapilmuni Ashram on the southern tip of Sagar Island in the south of West Bengal, India. Which is also a religious festival.
Legend has it that there was an ashram of Kapilmuni, the original proponent of Sankhyadarshan. Once sixty thousand sons of the king of Sagara were burnt to ashes in the fury of Kapilmuni and their souls were cast into hell. Bhagiratha, the grandson of Sagara, took Ganga from heaven to earth, washed the ashes of Sagaraputra and freed their souls.
(Ramayana, Balakanda, Chapter 43)
The Gangasagar pilgrimage has been mentioned in the pilgrimage section of the forest in the Mahabharata. An inscription by King Devapala of the Pala dynasty speaks of performing rituals at his confluence with the Ganges. According to folklore, there was an ashram of Kapilmuni here. According to the rules of time, it disappears into the sea at one time. Later it was rebuilt. The gathering of devotees continues to increase around the ashram. Every year in the middle of January, on the auspicious date of Makar Sankranti or Poush Sankranti, millions of people gather at this gathering. A huge fair was formed around this gathering. Whose name is Gangasagar-Mela.
The place of this fair is after Kumbh Mela. I mean, it’s the second largest Hindu fair. Although people come here from different parts of India, but also from other countries, mainly non-Bengali devotees from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The easiest way to reach this island, which is only 100 km away from Kolkata city, is to reach Kolkata first. From the southern branch of Sealdar, take the Kakdwip or Namkhana train straight to Namkhana. From there by bus or rickshaw to Harvard Point 6 launch dock. From Kolkata, of course, you can go by bus. Three o’clock road. Harvard Point 6 at launch dock. From there cross the Ganges in a ferry vessel to Kachuberia. Forty minutes way. 30 km away from Kachuberia by bus or trekker is much desired — Sagar. However, it is better to know the tidal time in advance. Otherwise you may have to sit on the shore for hours.
You can take nuts, corn or biscuits before boarding the vessel. Because, when the vessel is moving, you will see that a lot of migratory birds are matching the wings with that vessel. Many are throwing food at them. They are also grabbing it. Seeing this unimaginable scene, you may also want to give them something.
No, staying there is no longer a problem. There are plenty of hospices and guesthouses. There are various voluntary organizations and small and big places of residence adjacent to different temples. Many houses can be rented for as little money as possible. That is to say, they will cook whatever you want to eat, if you bring it or if you charge a price. There is also Bharat Sebashram Sangha.
There are also PWD Zilla Parishad bungalows, Irrigation Department and Public Health Engineering bungalows and Panchayat passenger quarters. There is a tourist lodge and a youth hostel. The West Bengal State Government has a sweet hospice for holidays. There is also Sagardeep Guest House. There is Dharamshala of Bharat Sanskriti Sangha. Dharamshala of Kapilmuni Sangha. Sagardwip Tourist Lodge and Youth Hostel. There is Dharamshala of Shankaracharya Ashram.
Can be booked in advance by calling — State Youth Hostel, ☎ +91 33 2246 0826. The scaffolding of a double bed room with attached bath is 100 rupees per day. Checking time is 12 noon. Kolkata Youth Services Department, 32/1, B.B.D. Bookings can also be made from
After reaching the Ganges, you can bathe in the sea and perform pujo at Kapilmuni’s ashram. You can visit the permanent abode of the saints near the temple. All these places are absolutely buzzing during the fair. The saints of the Himalayas, ignoring the severe winter, observe their religious rites with only ashes on their bodies.
During the fair, besides the government, many voluntary organizations are also involved in service activities starting from first aid. There are many ambulances. Sagar Gaspatal is always close. If he understood that, the patient was brought to Calcutta by helicopter. Lost children or the elderly are kept in safe camps. Many voluntary organizations distribute snacks, tea-biscuits and day-night meals every day. An organization in Khidirpur keeps all the luggage of the passengers in its custody. In fact, during this fair, everyone forgets caste, pushes away all narrowness and starts an India of unity.
Where this sea is, the Bay of Bengal is the largest bay in the world. It is located in the northern part of the Indian Ocean. Almost triangular bay. It is bounded on the west by India and Sri Lanka, on the north by India and Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and Thailand. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India are located right in the middle of the Bay of Bengal.
You can go here anytime other than fair time. If you want, you can take a van rickshaw and go out to visit the island. In this sea confluence of temples and monasteries. You can visit Mansadwip, the ashram of Ramakrishna Mission and the lighthouse. You can also go to the Iskcon temple. During the fair, they feed about one lakh people. Distributes blankets and temporarily accommodates the benefactors.
Once in the afternoon you can walk to the beach. Take the path that goes straight from the Irrigation Bungalow to the sea. This way you will find Zhou’s forest. There are still plenty of palm trees. More are being planted in new ways. Arranging. As the new Sturist spot.
But remember, don’t take any polypack with you by mistake. Because, now everyone has taken initiative to make Gangasagar plastic free. Neither have we become a little enterprising, so that when someone of the next generation comes here to visit, not only to see nature, but also to take a breath of fresh air and say — ‘All pilgrimages repeatedly / Gangasagar once’, not Gangasagar repeatedly / and again / And again …
Originally published at http://storyandreader.in on May 10, 2020.
