Sagar Island

Sagar Island is an inhabited island at the mouth of the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India, noted for Hindu pilgrimage and coastal agriculture. The island is best known for its religious site, Kapil Muni temple, and its role in seasonal pilgrimages.

Pilgrims and tourists visit the temple complex and the nearby beachfront for ritual bathing and festivals, most notably the annual Makar Sankranti (Ganga Sagar) gathering. The island also has fishing communities, tidal creeks and agricultural land shaped by river and coastal processes.

The island has long been associated with Hindu religious traditions and local maritime livelihoods. Over time it has seen recurring challenges from coastal erosion, siltation and changes in river channels that affect access and land use.

Sagar Island sits at the mouth of the Hooghly River in the Bay of Bengal, administratively in West Bengal’s coastal region and reachable by ferry from the Sundarbans mainland; it lies roughly 100 to 120 kilometers south of Kolkata by typical travel routes.

• Ganga Sagar pilgrimage: Known for the annual Ganga Sagar pilgrimage to the Kapil Muni temple, which draws large numbers of pilgrims at the Makar Sankranti festival.
• Access from Kolkata: Accessible by ferry from the coastal mainland (Kakdwip/Harwood point), and lies roughly 100-120 kilometers south of Kolkata by road and river connections.