Gangasagar Beach & Sangam

Entry: Free
The beach at the island’s southern tip is where the Ganga's waters (now the distributary known locally as the Muriganga) melt into the Bay of Bengal. This is the sangam, the confluence, the sacred meeting point. For pilgrims, it is the entire purpose of the journey. For all visitors, it is extraordinarily moving: a wide beach of pale silver sand, the dark river water merging with the lighter sea water in visible currents, the horizon open and immense to the south. Bathing is a key ritual but requires caution due to strong currents and is riskier at unusually high tides and in cyclone season. Sunrise at the sangam, with the light coming over the sea and the first bathers entering the water, is one of the most remarkable scenes in West Bengal.