Gangasagar

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Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

Gangasagar (गंगासागर) is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the Continental Shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km south of Kolkata. This island forms the Sagar CD Block in Kakadwip subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian State of West Bengal. The Gangasagar island, also known as Sagaradwipa, is a place of Hindu pilgrimage.

Origin

Variants

History

A holy man, Kardam Muni, made a pact with Vishnu that he would undergo the rigours of marital life, on the condition that Vishnu would incarnate as his son. In due time Kapil Muni was born as an incarnation of Vishnu and became a great saint. Kapil Muni’s ashram was located on the island. One day King Sagara's sacrificial horse disappeared; it had been stolen by Indra.

The king sent his 60,000 sons to find it, and they found it next to Kapil Muni's ashram, where Indra had hidden it. Mistaking Kapil Muni for the thief, the sons accused Kapil Muni, who in his wrath at the false accusation burned the sons to ash and sent their souls to Hell. Later having compassion for the King Sagara's sons, Kapil Muni acceded to the prayers of King Sagar's descendants, agreeing to the restoration of the sons, if Parvati in the form of the river goddess Ganga would descend to Earth to perform the Last Ritual (Hindus also called as"Tarpan") of mixing the ashes with holy water (niravapanjali).

Through deep meditation, King Bhagiratha induced Shiva to order Ganga down from heaven and the 60,000 sons were freed (moksha) and ascended to Heaven, but the river Ganges stayed on the Earth.[1][2] The date of the descent of Ganga was the date, as is at present the 15th Day of January of the Gregorian Calendar which coincides with that of Makar Sankranti (when Surya enters Makar Constellation, i.e. "Uttarayan" of Hindu Panchangam).

Every year on the day of Makar Sankranti (14 January), hundreds of thousands of Hindus gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers (puja) in the Kapil Muni Temple. Kolkata Port Trust has a pilot station and a light house.[3][4]

गंगासागर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[5] ने लेख किया है ...गंगा सागर (AS, p.264) गंगा और सागर के संगम पर स्थित प्राचीन तीर्थ है। कपिल मुनि का, जिनके शाप से सागर के साठ सहस्त्र पुत्र भस्म हो गये थे। आश्रम इसी स्थान पर था- 'तत: पूर्वोत्तरेदेशे समुद्रस्य महीपते, विदार्य पातालमथ सगरात्मजा:, अपश्यंत हयं तत्र विचरंत महीतले, कपिलं च महात्मानं तेरोराशिमनुत्तमम्'। महाभारत वन पर्व 107, 28-29

गंगा सागर का पुन: उल्लेख इस प्रकार है- 'समासाद्य समुद्रं चगंगया सहितो नृप:, पूरयामास वेगेन समुद्रं वरुणालयम्'-महाभारत वन पर्व 109, 17-18 अर्थात् भगीरथ ने साथ समुद्र तक पहुंचकर वरुणालय समुद्र को गंगा के पानी से भर दिया। इस तरह सगर के पुत्रों के भस्मावशेष गंगा के जल से पवित्र हुए।


गंगा के डेल्टा का सुदूर पश्चिमी द्वीप है, जो पश्चिम बंगाल राज्य, पूर्वोत्तर भारत में हुगली नदी के मुहाने पर स्थित है, जिसकी एक शाखा इसे मुख्य भूमि से पूर्व दिशा में पृथक् करती है। यह द्वीप ऐसे बिंदु पर स्थित है, जहां कभी गंगा 'बंगाल की खाड़ी' में मिलती थी। 'गंगासागर' के नाम से विख्यात इस स्थान को विशेष तौर पर पवित्र माना जाता है। यह एक प्रसिद्ध हिन्दू तीर्थ केंद्र है। यहां प्रतिवर्ष तीन दिवसीय स्नानोत्सव व एक बड़ा मेला आयोजित होता है। सागर द्वीप पर भयंकर चक्रवात आते हैं। इसके दक्षिण-पश्चिम तट पर हुगली नदी में यातायात को निर्देशित करने के लिए एक प्रकाश स्तंभ स्थापित है।[6]

External links

References

  1. Dasgupta, Samira; Mondal, Krishna & Basu, Krishna (2006). "Dissemination of Cultural Heritage and Impact of Pilgrim Tourism at Gangasagar Island" (PDF). Anthropologist. 8 (1): 11–15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 November 2006.
  2. The Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1883 -1896), Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatra Parva: Section 107, Section 108 and Section 109.
  3. Dasgupta, Samira; Mondal, Krishna & Basu, Krishna (2006). "Dissemination of Cultural Heritage and Impact of Pilgrim Tourism at Gangasagar Island" (PDF). Anthropologist. 8 (1): 11–15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 November 2006.
  4. "Sagar bridge on study table". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 11 September 2007.
  5. Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.264
  6. भारतकोश-सागरद्वीप