Kolkata: From Jan 1 till the evening of Jan 13, around 60 lakh people took the dip at Gangasagar, and several lakhs more were expected to take the holy dip over the next two days on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti. The Makar Snan will start at 1.19 pm on Wednesday and end at 1.19 pm on Thursday.
The state made elaborate arrangements for one of the annual pilgrimage, one of the largest in eastern India. Around 2,500 buses, 13 barges, 45 vessels and 100 wooden launches were deployed to ferry the constant stream of pilgrims to Gangasgar Mela and back.
Sagar Mela is not only a major religious event but also a major economic driver for the state. Hotels, small traders, transport operators, and daily-wage workers see a substantial rise in income. Hotels, lodges, and guesthouses across key transit points have been witnessing high occupancy. Eateries along key routes and near transit hubs such as Sealdah, Howrah, and Babughat are doing brisk business.
"Lakhs are staying here in the makeshift arrangements. I am selling mufflers and caps, and sales are very good this year," said Ashok Singh, a vendor who set up a temporary stall near the Maidan. Other traders selling food, utensils, and religious items echoed him.
At Gangasagar, the administration also put in place a robust surveillance system with 20 drones for aerial monitoring in addition to 1,200 CCTVs that were keeping a close watch across the mela area. Barricades covered a 54-km stretch, with both metal and temporary barricading arrangements in place to regulate crowd movement.
For disaster preparedness, 2,500 civil defence volunteers were deployed, along with teams from the Indian Navy, SDRF and NDRF. After a fire gutted some of the tents a few days ago, fire safety was strengthened with 18 fire stations and 50 fire tenders stationed at strategic locations.