In Photos: The Road to the Ganga Sagar Mela

The annual Ganga Sagar Mela is currently underway at Sagar Dwip in West Bengal.

According to the South 24 Parganas district administration, the Mela, which began on Monday and will go on till January 17, has drawn approximately 6.5 million pilgrims and tourists.

Celebrated during Makar Sankranti, the annual Ganga Sagar Mela is the second-largest gathering of Hindu pilgrims, next only to the Kumbha Mela.

Devotees from across the country converge at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal for a sacred dip, followed by prayers at the Kapil Muni Temple.