The place is primarily important for its temple of the great saint Kapil Muni who according to myth was Vishnu, had taken birth as per the wish of Kardam muni as his son.  Kapil Muni-one of the great saint of Hindu religious mythology. Kapil Muni’s hermitage was present at the place of the present day Gangasagar. His mythological story is related with the bringing of Ganga – the sacred river, in this place. In the

myth it is told that once during his religious austerity King Sagar’s (the King of Ikshashu Vansh of Ayodhya) 60000 sons came down to the

place of his hermitage in search of their father’s sacrificial horse and found it there at that place.

The Gangasagar fair begins a couple of day early and ends on the day after Sankranti. Hindu pilgrims fromIndia and around the world arrive at Sagar Island to take a holy dip in sacred waters of Ganga River before She merges in the Bay of Bengal. Thousands of Hindus take holy dip at the auspicious time on Makar Sankranti day morning and offer prayers to Lord Surya (sun god). The holy dip is believed to wash the sins away and lead to the attainment of Moksha. After performing Ganga Snan, pilgrims visit   the Kapilmuni Templesituated nearby. This is an ancient temple and is one of its kind inIndia. Devotees start to arrive in the first week of January and the venue attracts maximum pilgrims on the Makar Sankranti day. Accommodation for pilgrims is provided on the transit camps set up on Sagar Island.