People flock to tourist spots, shrines as India welcomes New Year with gusto

New Delhi, Jan 1 (PTI) Crowds thronged illuminated malls, recreational centres and tourist spots and devotees visited places of worship and took a dip in holy rivers as people across the country welcomed the New Year with joy and enthusiasm on Thursday.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and chief ministers of several states greeted people on the occasion and wished for peace and prosperity.

In the national capital, roads near the India Gate and Connaught Place witnessed massive traffic snarls while serpentine queues formed at key metro stations on Thursday.

A commuter said the Central Secretariat metro station was particularly crowded as a large number of people used the metro to reach India Gate and nearby areas.

"There was a huge rush at the station as many people were heading towards India Gate to celebrate the New Year," the commuter said.

Devashish, who visited India Gate with his family, said the area was heavily crowded, though police personnel were seen trying to manage the situation.

In Goa, one of the country’s most sought-after New Year destinations, saw restaurants, beach shacks and nightclubs packed with tourists and locals.

Revellers flocked to beaches on Wednesday night to ring in the New Year amid fireworks, music and parties, with major coastal stretches in North Goa witnessing heavy traffic jams.

At the stroke of midnight, the skies over the coastline lit up with colourful fireworks as people cheered, hugged and wished one another, ushering in the New Year to the sound of music and waves.

In his greeting, Prime Minister Modi hoped the New Year brings success and happiness.

"Wishing everyone a wonderful 2026! May the year ahead bring good health and prosperity, with success in your efforts and fulfilment in all that you do," he said in a post on X.

"Praying for peace and happiness in our society," the prime minister said.

In a post on X, President Murmu said, "On the joyous occasion of New Year, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all Indians in the country and abroad." Vice President Radhakrishnanexpressed hope that 2026 strengthens the resolve to make India a stronger nation.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended New Year greetings and called for a mass movement to protect the right to work, to vote and to live with dignity.

Mizoram, the Christian-majority state, celebrated New Year with religious and traditional fervour, marking it with community feasts and church services.

Thanksgiving ceremony, worship service, prayers and congregational singing (zaikhawm) were held in churches across the state on Thursday.

Usually, the New Year is celebrated for two days in the state. All churches in the state held midnight services on Wednesday night to bid farewell to 2025 and welcome 2026.

In Maharashtra, the New Year began on a rainy note for Mumbaikars as several parts of the country's financial capital witnessed moderate to heavy showers on Thursday morning.

On the eve of New Year, the Mumbai police booked more than 200 persons for drunk driving which was lower than figures in similar action on the last day of 2023 and 2024.

People across the country thronged temples, shrines and other places of worship to seek blessings on the New Year's Day.

In Uttar Pradesh, the New Year began with a massive pilgrim surge across the state as dense fog and biting cold failed to deter devotees from thronging major religious centres amid tight security arrangements.

Thousands of devotees took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, while Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi saw very high pilgrim turnouts. In Ayodhya, Ram temple management suspended VIP darshan passes and requested local residents to postpone visits to allow out-of-town pilgrims to have their darshan in view of the unprecedented rush.

In Odisha, thousands of devotees thronged the pilgrim city of Puri and made a beeline for the 12th-century shrine to have darshan of sibling deities - Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath.

In other states including Bihar and Rajasthan, large crowds of devotees visited major temples on the first day of 2026 to offer prayers and seek blessings.

In West Bengal, large gatherings were seen at various tourist destinations across the state as people stepped out in large numbers to welcome the New Year.

In the state capital, people thronged the Alipore Zoo, Eco Park, Nicco Park and Victoria Memorial, braving the winter chill.

Devotees gathered in large numbers at the Kashipur Udyan Bati and Dakshineswar Kali temple to observe Kalpataru Diwas, an annual religious festival of the Ramakrishna Math monastic order.

In Karnataka, music and celebration marked New Year euphoria across Bengaluru from the night of Wednesday, with huge number of people stepping out to welcome 2026 amid lights, laughter and heightened security.

Tamil Nadu welcomed 2026 with vibrant celebrations at beaches and public spaces and prayers at temples amid tight security.

The year started with rainfall, possibly the heaviest in a long while on the first day of the year, weather enthusiasts said.

Telangana ushered in the New Year with grand celebrations and revelry at apartment complexes, hotels and clubs amid tight security arrangements.

New year parties were organised late into the night at residential complexes and also public spaces in Hyderabad with loud music. PTI TEAM KVK KVK