A 64-year-old pilgrim from Madhya Pradesh died of heart attack at the Ganga Sagar mela where 27 lakh people have arrived, state minister Subrata Mukherjee said Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Damodar Yadav who had come to the fair with his family members, Mukherjee said.

He said around 27 lakh devotees from across the country and abroad have already assembled to take holy dip at the confluence of the Hooghly and the Bay of Bengal on the day of Makar Sankranti Tuesday.

The number of pilgrims would increase Tuesday, the panchayat minister said.

Gyan Das, mahant of the Hanumangarhi temple at Ayodhya, said the holy dip would continue from 6 am to 11 pm on Tuesday.

Das is also a former chief of Kapil Muni ashram here.

The pilgrims also offer prayers in the Kapil Muni Temple after taking the holy dip.

Last year, over 20 lakh pilgrims had visited the Ganga Sagar during this time.

A thick blanket of security cover has been thrown in and around the famous spot.

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