This year we three Jojo (Captain J), Nitish (Captain Spark), my cousin brothers and myself went there. The tragic part at the beginning was on 13th Bamfront in West Bengal called a bandh in South 24 Pargana. We were about to go by train upto Kakdwip because it is fast and economic too. But while taking the breakfast in the morning I saw it is in the TV channel and decided to go by bus.
Reaching at Dharmatala there are a lots of bus available up to Lot-8/ Harwood point. State buses like CSTC, SBSTC, and Private Buses are available. There are buses from Babughat also. The buses upto Namkhana also pass through Lot-8, so anybody can get down near Lot-8 and come to that place. The reserve bus fare upto Lot-8 is Rs. 60. There is another way for Sagardwip that is from Namkhan and then crossing the Ganga there is Chemaguri. We went through Kachuberiai.
It took around 3 hrs. to reach at Lot-8 by bus. The bus journey was fantastic because it was a non-stop journey upto Lot-8 and there were no passenger get in or down. While crossing the Diamond harbor we saw a wonderful view of the Ganga, because the distance between the banks of the river is so large that we could not able to see the opposite side. This is because after Kolkata; river Rupnarayan and Damodar join to the Ganga and make it large.
After reaching Lot-8; the next destination was ferry ghat. From there we could understand how our journey is going to be? There we saw the preparation of gathering the mass for the destination called Gangasagar. The people from all over the country came there and we all stood in the queue for the ferry (boat). It took around 2 hrs. in the queue for reaching upto the ghat. There are 4-5 ghats/ jetty’s for get in to the ferry. The ferry fare was Rs. 40 for crossing the river called Muriganga. Pilgrims also had to pay Rs. 5 as Tirtha Kar (Pilgrimage Tax). The ordinary fare for crossing the river is only Rs. 6.50. But W.B. Govt. was taking these 6 times extra charge for making those jetty’s, arranging ferries from Kolkata and others. There were voluntaries and police all around to support pilgrims. The maximum maximum nos. of voluntaries wore Bharat Sevashram Sangha’s badge.
Last time when I came here in the year 2000 it was almost dark outside so did not see anything while boarding in the ferry, but this time I could able to see the view from the boat. The Muriganga was full of muddy water and I could not see the opposite side of the river due to huge distance and of course for fog.
Due to low tide our ferry was running in very slow speed, and it did not took the straight root but went by keeping a distance of those red signaled post indicating low depth region. The big vessels which also can carry cars, buses etc were taking the help of small pilot ship (steamer). We saw one ferry which was stuck in the mud (poli) due to low tide and fighting for coming out of this mess. It took around 1 hr. for our ferry to carry around 750 people to reach the opposite side called Kachuberia. The sate govt. is setting up transmission pole there in the Sagar island, because there are some companies in who are going to install MW solar panel in Sagar island and supply to the national grid.
When we reached in Kachuberia it was almost evening and feeling cold around us. There are plenty of trees mainly Jhue (Shurb), Eucalyptus trees and fertile land in the Sagar island. The island is surrounded by the dam made of soil-mud-sand. We noticed there were no electricity still today and the lights and other electric system was running on DG’s. There is one construction going on for setting up transmission line. The source of electricity in the Sagardwip is diesel generators or Solar.
There are plenty of buses and trackers or van available for Gangasagar mela form Kachuberia. Here also we saw the busses are arranged from many parts of Kolkata and others. There is another root called Chemaguri from Namkhana. It took 1.5 hrs to reach Chemaguri from Namkhan by ferry. From Chemaguri to Gangasagar is 10 k.m. only and bus fare is Rs. 20.
The distance of Sagarmela from Kachuberia is 30 k.m., the bus fare is Rs. 30, and otherwise it should be Rs. 15. The bus was also full of pilgrims. While in bus we saw one aged couple came from Bihar/UP and could not manage to talk in Hindi. They seemed to be poor, and reluctant to pay their fare. We could understand the fare issue; even we were in trouble if we did not found the ATM. Actually we kept Rs. 1000 for all the expenses but found it was very less because of hike in fare for the Sagarmela reason. Obviously this is hitting the poor Indian pilgrims who are traveling from 1000-2000 K.M. to get a holy dip in the occasion of Makarsankranty. Is ‘Moksha/ Purna’ is required? I can’t tell because I did not dip in the sea on the sacred timing.
Pilgrims from all over India came to attain the Makarsankranti. They came from mostly Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisghar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. Some came from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and of course from West Bengal. The pilgrims mostly from the western part of India came by their booked bus from their native place; they were in a tour for 20/ 30 days and will visit others place after Sagarmela. Others were very ordinary/ poor pilgrims and could managed only to come here by general compartment upto Howrah then walked upto Sealdha with their team holding a colored flag as a group symbol. The crowd stays in Sealdha station here and there and makes the station reserve for them. Daily passengers used to get rid of them; the commuter for Laxmikantipur line do not get seats in train for these 2-3 days and others hassles, but still it is going on for years.
It took 1 hour to reach at Gangasagar bus stand. In between the way from Kachuberia to Gangasagar there are small gathering of people, market, house, temple, mosques etc. Reaching at bus stand we were surprised to see the arrangement. It was really a huge arrangement, and for what WB Govt. charging extra from the pilgrims and it was worthwhile.
The total Gangasagar mela is around max. 3 k.m. of diameter area. From the bus stand there were lots of voluntaries from Bharat Sevashram Sangha helping pilgrims.
After got down from the bus there were 3 ways to approach towards mela. We chose road no. 1. Just approaching towards the road there were dharmashalas, camp from different religious society, permanent ashrams or shelters for the devotee of that sect etc. There was different kind of shops both the side of the road. Sealing religious books, medical camps, information centers, tea, hotels etc. Beggars were also asking alms from the pilgrims. A Naga Sannasy suddenly appeared with his team holding Trishul by each one. He was playing with the Trishul and moving it on his head. This is not enough; when we saw this ‘bava’ pears a metallic chain into his male organ, and shouting ‘jay bhole’ or some thing like that. Watching his versatile posture and movement people around him gave him the way to pass by.
The roads were maintained well and full of lights. We were searching some shelter for that night. I had a bad experience of last visit to Gangasagar. That time we passed the night seating under the open sky beside the sea and just kept a chaddar on our head. And very next day we came to know that the last night was 40 C. I did not want to make this trip measurable due to this.
Searching for the shelter we went few ashrams and asking for the meal and shelter for the night. Some told it can be managed; few denied. The rooms are available but have to book for coming 2-3 days. But we can have our meal. I guess as we three were not aged and dress like travelers so the men in those Ashrams thought that we were not in the category of devotee and came there for an experience traveling and hence, having fun. Actually our intension was to get the meal or dinner in a clean place, because the road side meal or the food available in the mela would not be that much hygienic due to mass gathering. Even I could realize the pilgrimage came from different parts of India won’t bother about the quality of the food server to them.
We found some places where we were told the meal will be provided but we have to purchase the coupons earlier. There are places where the meal can get against Rs. 20-30. So we decided after see the Sea and Kapilmuli Mandir we came back and have the meal.
Walked straight followed by the road no. 1 we reached near to the sea. This was the 1st experience for Nitish (Cpt. Spark) to see a sea. We all were very excited to see the sea. The road was not straight so the sea came to us suddenly, and we got overwhelmed. We came to know that the sea is nearby when saw the sea sand. Holding the sea sand in the arm and flew in the air was the nice moment. I saw the sea here after I left Mumbai. The characteristic of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are different. In Nariman Point we can not touch, but here we went near to the sea and feel it. We went to the sea folded our pants and stood into knee deep water. Small waves in sea were fantastic.
Devotees had already started taking bath by dipping in the shallow Sea/ Mohona. It was around 7.30 p.m. and the beach was not full enough, hence; Gangamaiya was calling her children because the auspicious timing was coming nearer.
The busiest road is road no. 2. At the end of the road there was the Kapil Muni temple. There were devotees, peoples, police men, volunteers, photographers, news channels and shop keepers on and both side of the road. Because one end was Gangasagar and another end was the temple. The main information center is also on that road. There are rooms made by hoogla (a kind of leaf) leaf beside the road. Those rooms are free of charges and any body can shelter in those. Who did not managed they brought tent like hoogla structured and put them any available place near to them. That cost was Rs. 60. Pilgrims who came in a team were cooking their meals and for that all the credentials ware available in the shop.
We came to know that there is an ATM by SBI near to the temple, although that ATM was not permanent. There was only one SBI ATM in the whole Sagardwip for that time being. Every one should thankful to SBI for this, because there was no other option. There were frequent announcement for missing people. Some one lost in the morning and still not recovered and there are others announcements like this also.
We took tea and rest for some time and then moved for the mandir.
The Temple and idols could be seen form the front. There is no nat-mandir for which devotee have to go inside the temple, pujas and all could be done by standing in front of the madir. But some one wants to do special puja then there are shops where devotee can do the offering to the Kapil Muni. There the 3 idols in the middle and main Temple and there were two more small temple just beside the main shrine of Kapil Muni. Here the main god was Kapli Muni.
Main Story: The King of Ekshakshu dynasty, Raja Sagar ruled this island from Ayodhyay. The King once planned an ashwamedh yagna. It was the 100th ashwamedh yagna he was about to perform, a record which was only achieved by Lord Indra. A sacred horse part of the yagna was set free and on its return the yagna could be performed. But when the horse failed to return Sagar's 60,000 sons set out to search for it. The horse was found in Kapil Muni's Ashram. It was Lord Indra who had stopped the horse and tied it at the Muni's Ashram. Unawares of his tricks the sons accused the Muni of stealing it and as a result were turned to ashes. It was to retrieve these accursed souls, Ganga descends on the earth into 7 tributaries- Suchokhu, Sita and Sindhu flow towards the east, Holodini, Parboni and Nandini flow towards the west while the main river Ganga followed Bhaghirathi and traversed through the confluence where Kapil Muni's ashram was situated thus retrieving the 60,000 accursed sons of Sagar.
After saw the temple we proceed further. The line was made almost such a way that after visiting the temple pilgrims would come out behind the temple. On the way there are small kutia/ hut of Naga Sannasyes. Devotees did pranams and offerings to those Naga Babas. After pranam those babas gave tilak to the Deveotees forehead. They put ashes on whole of their bodies and being totally necked. How can it possible to be bear in that cold temperature, that those babas only knew.
After the darshan we came to the crossing some where and came to know that the camp of Ramakrishna Mission and ISKCON were near by. As per the instruction the ISKCON and Ramakrishna Mission was there in the road no. 4, and very near to the bus stand, but from the temple it was almost 1 k.m.
There was very big camp organized by ISKCON. There were all the facilities available mostly required. They also gave lots of advertisement. But it seemed that the most of the facilities are for the devotees connected to ISKCON.
After that there was camp of Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Mansadwip. Actually it was a school ran by Ramakrishna Mission. But due to Sagarmela it turned shelter for devotees. Volunteer told us as the sleeping arrangement is not adequate so book the coupons for the meal. We did the same and then went to Sagarmela again. After coming back to ashram around 10 p.m we took dinner/ Prasad and then took rest. We should be very much thankful to Robin Maharaj for arranging all these for a lot of devotees. There was arrangement of meal almost for whole night, because for the 14th January there was main Sankranti Snan (holy timing for taking bath in Gangasagar) and people used to coming there at night. There was one team arrived at 3.00 am by bicycle from Arambaug, Hoogly.
After took rest and all, we moved for Kolkata, and left Ashram around 4. a.m. There were cloud in the sky and a small amount of rain too. So the temperature came down suddenly. Coming out from there we went once again to Gangasagar. This time the beach was almost full. Devotees were taking the holy bath in the cold water. Bramhins reserved the place and did pujas. There small cows here and there holded by the pujaries who doing the performance called ‘Baitarani Par’. It is said that holding the tail of the holy cow and crossing the river Ganga will remove all the sin. On this occasion pujaries borrow the calf from the local owner for doing this ritual and help pilgrims to do this ritual.
The W.B. Govt. arranged a lot to clean the beach and mela area, but there were unbelievable crowd. Human were not ready to pay there time hence, did the early morning job in the beach, and forgot in the time of high tide the water will come on the same place where they will do the holy dip. We decided to escape from the holy bath in the Ganga, because I knew the condition of the water and when Capt. J & Spark had gone through the real scenario, they also convinced.
Pilgrimages were returning after the holy dip and others were making it happen with in the auspicious time. The Sankranti timing and holy bath timing was started 3.45 a.m. on 14th Jan’ 2010. Took a cup of hot tea made us fresh and inform us let’s start for the back journey.
Reached to Bus stand we were searching for the bus upto Kachuberia, and suddenly met Rupantar. Now he is in WB police and posted in Sagardwaip for this occasion. We did our diploma form the same college. He helped us to get sets in the bus.
When we reach Kachuberia it was around 7 a.m. and the day light came out. Upto that; every thing was fine, but when we stood in the queue for 4 hrs. for ferry it took all our energy what we collected from the holy island. Like that we reached to the Lot-8 by the ferry and this time it took only 30 mins. due to high tide. Reaching Lot-8 we went upto Kakdwip St. by local bus. The bus fare was Rs. 5. The bus was also run upto Namkhana St. but better to get down at Kakdwip in this occasion.
The Kakdwip and Namkhana station were made few years back, earlier the rail was up to Laxmikantapur. But now after the EMU service the journey become sort and economic. We took our lunch near Kakdwip station. The platform was full and hence we decided to go back upto Namkhan and return back on the same train otherwise it would be difficult to get seats. The train fare from Kakdwip to Sealdha was Rs. 18 and Rs. 3 extra as Tirtha Kar. It took around 2.30 hrs. to reach our home Parkcircus.
There were few accident in this Gangasagar mela, few people died in the crowed, they were came under the pilgrims feet, and one jetty crashed for that few people loose their lives. Apart form that the over all journey was safe and good and the Gangasagar Mela too.
This is the end of our journey. See u nxt time……
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