Over 14 lakh take dip in Gangasagar; one dies of heart attack

Over 14 lakh pilgrims today took holy dip at the Gangasagar today on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and offered puja at the Kapil Muni temple even as one person died of heart attack, a district official said.
The 'snan', (dip) which began at 7:44 AM can be taken for another 16 hours, the head priest of Kapil Muni temple Mahant Gyandas said.
Meanwhile, a South 24 Parganas district official said one person, from north India, died of cardiac arrest after he took the dip today, taking the death toll of Sagar-bound pilgrims to five in past four days.
Including the one who died today, three pilgrims have passed away due to cardiac arrest in the fair area in the past four days, the official said, adding one death each was reported from Lot No. 8 and Kachuberia 1 near the Sagar islands.

The mela, which can boast to represent mini-India, also witnessed participation from Nepal and some European nations.
Gyandas claimed he had a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today and she proposed a bigger mela - 'Moksha' (salvation) Gangasagar Mela - next year.
Meanwhile, 83 pilgrims were injured when two buses collided at Buldubi near Kachuberia this morning and some of them had to be taken to hospital, the district official said.