Gangasagar Mela

  • IASbaba
  • January 7, 2023
  • 0
History and Art and Culture
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Context: Recently, West Bengal Chief Minister urged Central government to declare Gangasagar Mela as a ‘national mela’ (national festival).

About Gangasagar Mela:

  • Gangasagar is largest and oldest living tradition or festival in West Bengal.
  • It is celebrated during Makar Sankranti for a week since as early as 400 BCE on the island of Gangasagar in West Bengal’s 24 South Parganas District.
  • Gangasagar or Sagar Island is in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 kms south of Kolkata.
  • It is mentioned in both Ramayana and Mahabharata.
  • Pilgrimage started when First Kapil Muni’s temple was constructed by Queen Satyabhama in 430 AD.
  • Devotees take a sacred dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal known as Gangasagar which is an island.
  • It is India’s second largest pilgrimage gathering after the Kumbh Mela.

Source:  Hindustan Times

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Consider the following pairs:

Tradition                                                        State

  1. Chapchar Kut festival                      Mizoram
  2. Khongjom Parba ballad                  Manipur
  3. Thang-Ta dance                                Sikkim

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct? (2018)

  1. 1 only
  2. 1 and 2
  3. 3 only
  4. 2 and 3

Q.2) Consider the following pairs:

Traditions                         Communities

  1. Chaliha Sahib Festival            Sindhis
  2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra             Gonds
  3. Wari-Warkari                          Santhals

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (2017)

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. None of the above

 

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