Rising sea levels and erosion have become a serious issue for the Ganga Sagar Mela, an annual religious congregation in West Bengal’s Sagar Island. Thousands of pilgrims visit the island to take a holy dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, but a significant portion of the beach in front of the Kapil Muni temple has been eroded and covered with mud. As a result, the government has diverted the pilgrims to other beaches on the island. Despite efforts to combat erosion, including the installation of tetrapods, the impact of these measures remains uncertain. The West Bengal government has spent ₹25 crore for dredging the Sagar Island, but a large stretch of the island continues to face erosion, posing a challenge to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s call for the Ganga Sagar Mela to be accorded a National Fair status. Locals and experts have pointed out that human interventions, such as violating coastal regulation zones and the removal of vegetation and sand dunes, have contributed to the worsening erosion. They also emphasize that the lack of sediment influx from the Ganga Meghna Brahmaputra river system is causing land loss in the Sunderbans. As the sea level rises, the water is coming dangerously close to the Kapil Muni temple, a worrying sign considering that previous temples have already been submerged. Professor Tuhin Ghosh from Jadavpur University warns that the attacks of waves have increased due to these human interventions and calls for immediate action to preserve the environment and prevent further erosion in the area.