Lakhs of pilgrims take holy dip on Makar Sankranti; heavy rush at Gangasagar Mela

Lakhs of pilgrims took a holy dip on Wednesday morning at the confluence of the Hooghly river and the Bay of Bengal in West Bengal's Sagar Island on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

The pilgrims braved the winter chill to take a dip at sunrise and offered prayers at the Kapil Muni Ashram on the island in the South 24 Parganas district, where the revered Gangasagar Mela is underway.

The auspicious timing for the 'shahi snan' is scheduled to begin at 1.19 pm and will continue for 24 hours.

In view of the huge gathering from different corners of the country, the state government has made elaborate arrangements at Sagar Island, located around 100 km from Kolkata.

A senior official said that more people are expected to take a dip at the confluence of the sea and the Hooghly river, a distributary of the Ganga, as the auspicious timing for the 'shahi snan' is yet to begin.

Besides, security has also been beefed up across the districts, and at the railway stations and bus stands in Kolkata in view of the annual fair, he said.

For the first time, advanced water drones, also known as 'rescue drones', have been deployed for continuous surveillance along the shore, he said.

"These drones have been stationed specifically to enhance monitoring around Kapil Muni's Ashram and the main bathing ghats. These rescue drones are capable of carrying a load of up to 100 kg and quickly evacuating pilgrims in distress," he added.