Ganga Sagar

Meaning

At the end of its long journey, the Ganges reaches the sea of the Bay of Bengal. Before the estuary water turned to gold, pilgrims bathe where river and sea become one — and worship at the nearby temple of Kapil Muni. 'Every pilgrimage many times, Ganga Sagar once,' they say: here the river's long walk comes at last to rest in the sea.

A holy place on Sagar Island in West Bengal, where the Ganges meets the sea of the Bay of Bengal. At this end of the river's journey, pilgrims bathe where river and sea meet and worship at a temple dedicated to the sage Kapil Muni. Tradition holds that the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara were burned to ash here and were purified when the heavenly Ganges came down to earth — hence the saying that all pilgrimages may be made many times, but Ganga Sagar at least once. Each year on Makar Sankranti the Ganga Sagar Mela draws millions.

Field notes

Location

Where the Ganges meets the sea · West Bengal, India · N21.6° · E88.1°

Best time

Evening, as the sun sets over the sea; the Makar Sankranti pilgrimage peak in January.

Getting there

South from Kolkata in West Bengal, crossing by boat to Sagar Island; the river's last place, where the Ganges meets the sea.

Etiquette

A place of great pilgrimage still today; keep the etiquette of bathing and worship, and keep quiet.

Sources

• · Encyclopaedia Britannica: Ganges River
• · Wikipedia: Sagar Island

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