Socio-Ecological Significance Of Gangasagar Mela In West Bengal

Abstract

Gangasagar Mela is a religious mela in West Bengal. This mela take place in time of the Poush Sankranti, mainly the end of month Poush according to Bengali year calender. Though this tipulated sacred date is well known in West Bengal for taking a Holy Bath, in popular sense the Gangasagar bathing is known as Baruni. Gangasagar is a one of the major and famous festival in Bengal as well as in India. In West Bengal, bengali people celebrates this festival very gorgeously and colourfully, because in time of the Gangasagar mela a very popular festival take place which is known as Nabanna (festival of new rice). In this Nabanna people prepared various kinds of pies and cakes. Though Gangasagar is the matching up as well as meeting point of the river Ganga and Bay-of -Bengal. So, most of the people of East-West and North India have strong believe that after a long journey of upward and downward slope Maa Ganga have met with her Husband in Gangasagar. That’s why Gangasagar mela is not only religious importants but also it has great importance on social, ecological.