from Sunday midnight Gangasagar The holy dip has started in Uttarakhand. A large number of pilgrims from different parts of the country have reached Sagardweep to take the holy dip. By 12 noon on Sunday, 65 lakh devotees have returned after taking the holy bath in Gangasagar. State Electricity and Youth Affairs Minister Arup Biswas gave this information in a press conference at Gangasagar Mela office on Sunday. The minister said that the sacred time of holy bath in Gangasagar fair will be from 12.13 am on Sunday night to 12.13 am on Monday night. In the last 24 hours, 20 lakh pilgrims have taken a dip of faith in Gangasagar.
Strong security arrangements have been made
It is noteworthy that till 12 noon on Saturday, a total of 45 lakh devotees had taken bath in the Ganga. In the correspondent conference, State Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shobhan Dev Chattopadhyay, Sundarban Development Minister Bankim Chandra Hazra, PWD Minister Pulak Rai, Transport Minister Snehashish Chakraborty, Irrigation and Waterways Minister Partha Bhowmik, Fire Minister Sujit Bose, State Information and Culture Department Minister Indranil Sen was present. Shri Vishwas said that to keep the security arrangements of Gangasagar fair strong, various places of the fair are being continuously monitored through 1150 CCTVs, 22 drones and 10 satellite phones.
17 buffer zones created from Babu Ghat to Sagar Mela complex
It was told in the press conference that a total of 17 buffer zones have been created on the route from Babughat in Kolkata to Sagar Mela complex. To control the crowd at the jetty ghats in these buffer zones, buses are being stopped at certain places as per requirement. During this period, necessary arrangements have been made in each buffer zone for the rest of the pilgrims. According to Hrishikesh Panjika, the auspicious time of ‘Punya Snan’ on Makar Sankranti will start at 12:13 am on Sunday night and will continue for the next 24 hours. Most of the devotees will observe this time and take a holy bath.