A puja in progress at Gangasagar Mela, 2023 on Saturday. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, lakhs of pilgrims arrived at South 24 Parganas’ Sagar Island to take the holy dip
All images by Ashim Paul/My KolkataA glimpse of the sea of devotees who have come to attend Gangasagar Mela this year
A man helps an elderly woman take a dip. Even as the auspicious timing to take the dip begins from 6.50pm on Saturday, countless braved the chilly weather and offered prayers at the Kapil Muni Ashram
Devotees arrive at the festival
People get ready to offer prayers
A woman and a 'sadhu' at the mela
The 10-day festival began on January 8, 2023. Signposts, banners and hoardings written in Hindi have been specially arranged to facilitate large number of Hindi-speaking pilgrims at the Gangasagar Mela
Puja and rituals in progress. Personnel of the Coast Guard and disaster management teams have stepped up vigil along the coastline, while police and civil defence volunteers were deployed at the fairground
Devotees on a shopping spree at Gangasagar Mela
Kapil Muni Ashram has been lit up on the occasion