The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to apply for Unesco’s intangible heritage tag for the Gangasagar Mela, the century-old fair held at the southern tip of the Bay of Bengal and considered the second largest human congregation after the Kumbh Mela.

Every year, around 15-20 lakh people come for a holy dip at Gangasagar around Makar Sankranti, where a huge fair is held. In 2023, it will be held from January 8 to 15.

The state government’s move comes within a few months of the Durga Puja of Calcutta making it to the Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Sources said applying for Unesco’s heritage tag for Gangasagar Mela was the brainchild of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Sources said Mamata wanted to use the Gangasagar fair to showcase “Bengal’s development model” ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A team comprising 20 officials and at least six local historians, headed by South 24-Parganas district magistrate Sumit Gupta, is doing the groundwork to apply to Unesco with relevant documents online. The last day to submit an online application to Unesco is March 31.

“Primary work to prepare the dossier to apply for the intangible heritage tag is on in full swing. The team is getting details on Gangasagar Mela to showcase why it deserves the Unesco tag. The Kumbh Mela received the Unesco tag in 2017,” said a senior state government official.

“Our team is working round the clock to collect data from the ground and libraries. We will wrap up research as soon as possible and apply for the Unesco tag,” said DM Gupta.

During her recent trip to Rajasthan’s Pushkar, Mamata said how her government was working to promote Gangasagar, also a destination of faith for centuries like Kumbh Mela. The state government has taken several measures such as developing large-scale infrastructure for easy access and transportation.