Sagardwip, 128kms away from Kolkata presents an ideal repose for a quiet weekend. A small island in the Sunderban, Sagardwip is bequeathed with a quiet charm amidst the completely unspoilt and silvery beach on the estuary of the mighty Ganga. It has a lighthouse that offers you a panaromic view of the surroundings.

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Makar Sankranti

Quite a hot spot for Hindu pilgrimage, Sagardwip throngs with pilgrims during Makar Sankranti. Pilgrims and sages travel from all over India to Sagardwip to take a holy dip at the confluence of the river Ganga and the Bay of Bengal. In a nearby ashram associated with sage Kapil Muni, prayers are offered by the devotees. In this mid January pilgrimage, a grand fair called the Gangasagar mela is held in Sagardwip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Gangasagar Mela is one of the biggest fairs in West Bengal.

Sagardwip is mentioned in many tales in Hindu mythology and ancient Indian Literature. In Ramayana, Sagardwip finds mention and Pandavas in Mahabharata go for sagarsangam. Rabindranath Tagore pays allegiance to Sagardwip in a poem and Bamkim Chandra Chattpopadhyay sets it in a novel.

When you take a trip to the island you will find it more interesting to know its history. 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.

Till the early part of the 18th century Sagardwip was covered with thick forest and there was no evidence anyone living there since 1688.It was only in the year 1810, British East India Company employee, Robertson, stumbled upon a congregation of sages at Sagarmela. Beyond those days the place otherwise remained deserted.

It was in 1822 , East India Company decided to settle five families from the Arakan valley on this island. Population soon increased in Sagardwip but was often threatened by devastating tornadoes. Being one of the holy places, Hindus pilgrims from Sri Lanka and Lahore traveled to Sagar for a dip in the confluence. A dip in the holy water is said to equal a performance of the Ashwamedh Yagna. Sagardwip developed slowly. The first metal road was constructed in 1960 and the island got its electricity in the 1990s.

The picturesque view at Sagardwip is breathtaking. The spectacular sunset and sunrise will make your day. The orange orb casts an enchanting spell on the island and the silvery beach infested with red crabs and lined with trees creates a magical ambience. Oil tankers, cargo ships and fishermen boats complete the panoramic view of Sagardwip.

The Kapil Muni Temple
Sagardwip's Kapil Muni temple is the fourth construted temple in the island. The first was razed by a tornado and the next two were destroyed by the sea. It was in 1961, the chief minister of Bengal, BC Roy donated Rs.11,000 to construct the present temple which was completed in 1973.

Other places to visit in Sagardwip
Bharat Sevashram Sangha temple, the Ramakrishna Mission and the Onkarnath temple are the other religious sites of Sagardwip.

If you are not religious, enjoy the bounties of nature; sand, sun, sky et al for a quiet weekend.

How to reach Sagardwip

A Kakdwip bound bus from Esplanade to Harwood Point will take about 3 hours. You have then to cross the Muriganga river on a boat till Kachuberia. From Kachuberia you can take a bus to Sagardwip which is 30kms from there and will take about an hour.

Otherwise you can take a bus to Namkhana from Kolkata which is 105 kms away. From Namkhana you can reach Chemaguri by crossing the river Muriganga in a launch and from Chamaguri to Gangasagar by bus which is at a distance of 10kms. Boats from Harwood Point and Kachuberia are accessible every hour.