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Sagar Island
Based in Ganga Delta, Sagar Island lies on continental shelf of massive Bay of Bengal. It is approximately 100 kilometres to the south of Kolkata. The island belongs to India while is administered by West Bengal’s state government. Having area of 224.3 sq. kms, the island has nearly 43 villages with populace of 160000. Gangasagar or Ganga Sagar is the largest village. Even though the island is significant part of administration of Sunderban, it has no arrangements for tiger habitation of the mangrove forest. The island is popularly called Sagardwip or Gangasagar and is a holy place of Hindu Pilgrimage. Numerous Hindu people visit this island every year on special occasion of Makar Sankranti and take holy dip. They offer their prayers at Kapil Muni Temple.
Ferry
From Kolkata, ferry services are available till Kachuberia which is to the north end of Sagar Island. For ferry landing, there is a large parking area maintained by the Panchayat Samity. The ferry runs nearly 3.5 kms to reach its destination. There are numerous small boats which can be taken from Harwood point to reach Kachuberia.
Accommodation
Sagar Island has numerous best and world class accommodation facilities for its tourists. There are lodges, guest houses, resorts and hotels which offer state of the art staying facilities to its guests. Some of the popular staying options at Sagar Island are:
- Tip Top Residency
- Hotel Amarbati
- Hotel Prayag Balaji
- The Golden Retreat
- Hotel East Coast
- State Youth Hostel
- Larica Sagar
- Bharat Sevashram Sangha
Most of the facilities here offer online booking facility, which means that if you are planning your trip here, then you can make online booking to have a convenient and hassle free visit and stay. The hotels here have indoor and outdoor eating facilities, allowing you to enjoy the nature while having your favourite tempting food. Some of the hotels feature water based sports activities for adventure lovers.
Events / Festivals in Sagar Island
Sagar Island is closely based to Kolkata, which means that it hosts similar festivals that are popularly celebrated in the state. The most popular one is Ganga Sagar Mela which is held in January every year. Numerous pilgrims and Sadhus get together from different parts of the country and pay homage to Kapil Muni Temple. They also take holy dip to wash their evils and impure soul on Makar Sakranti. This fest is called the largest one where devotees assemble in huge number. Other festival celebrations include –
- Durga Puja
- Dover Lane Musical Festival
There are 43 villages here and each village has its own cultural and religious occasion which has prominent importance to them. People come together and celebrate these occasions with music, tasty food and dance.
Places to Visit in Sagar Island
Sagar Island is based in Southeast Bay of Bengal. It is considered to be a pilgrimage destination for many Hindu people. The destination has some impeccable tourist spots for you to visit namely:
- Kapil Muni Temple – was installed in 1437 and at present it is a block of stone which has idol of saint coupled with images of Ram and Sita.
- Wind Mills – helps the villages at Sagar Island get electricity
- Chimaguri Mudflat – this is an entry point to large mangrove forest
- Sushama Devichodhurani Marine Biological Research Center – based at Bamankhali
- Ramkrishna Mission Ashram – this ashram dates back to the times of Mughal era. It was a flourishing ashram those days but post many depredations and attacks, it has become less popular.
- Sagar Lighthouse – erected in 1821, the lighthouse was made to stand on 20 m wide wooden tripod. The lighthouse at present is under the administration of Kolkata Port Trust.
- Sagar Marine Park – an attractive tourist spot during the yearly Sagar Fair
- Sea Beach – the beaches here are unspoilt, silver in colour with blue sky on their top. People visit here during weekends and seek tranquillity.
All these tourist destinations can be seen flooded with tourists during the annual fest and holiday season.
Climate of Sagar Island
The climate of Sagar Island is highly unpredictable making it difficult to forecast for specific time or a particular place. Owing to this reason, at times the travellers are uncertain of planning their trip in advance. The average temperatures or the rainfall can help you know the actual trend of climate at Sagar Island.
Best Time to Visit Sagar Island
The ideal time to visit Sagar Island is round the year. As the climate here is unpredictable, the tourists can plan their trip based on the rainfall trends of graphs.
How to Reach Sagar Island
Sagar Island is accessible from India mainland easily by air, land and water.
The nearby airport to Sagar Island is Kolkata International Airport which is based 129 kilometres from the main island. Once you reach the airport, you can take ferry and reach the north point of the island.
You can take train for Kolkata. The city has excellent connectivity of trains with other parts of the country. From Kolkata, book ferry which takes you to northern tip of the island.