Devotees throng Odisha temples to usher in New Year
Bhubaneswar: Prominent temples across the state witnessed a massive rush as devotees, clad in traditional attire and carrying fruits, flowers and sweets, offered prayers on the first day of 2025 on Wednesday.
Apart from the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Lingaraj Temple, Ram Mandir and other smaller temples in Bhubaneswar, and Chandi Mandir, Dhabaleswar, Bhattarika and Charchika Temple in Cuttack drew thousands of devotees. An early morning visitor to the Lingaraj Temple, Rajesh Sahu, said, “Every year on Jan 1, I come for darshan of Lord Lingaraj. Starting the year with a visit to Lord Shiva’s abode gives me hope and strength to face the challenges ahead. The atmosphere here is so divine.”
Similar scenes were witnessed at Maa Tarini Temple in Ghatagaon, Maa Biraja Temple in Jajpur, Maa Mangala in Kakatpur, Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur, Manikeswar, Bhawani Shankar temples in Bhawanipatna and Lankeswari Temple in Sonepur. Smaller temples across the state also witnessed a huge rush as people preferred to start the new year by offering prayers. Priests conducted special rituals and offered ‘arati’ to mark the occasion. Many temples even organised mass feasts and recitations of holy scriptures.
Elaborate arrangements were made by temple authorities to manage the crowd. At Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation deployed additional staff to ensure cleanliness and crowd management. “We have worked with the police to ensure a smooth darshan experience for devotees as we expected around 50,000 visitors on Jan 1,” a temple official said.
Apart from the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Lingaraj Temple, Ram Mandir and other smaller temples in Bhubaneswar, and Chandi Mandir, Dhabaleswar, Bhattarika and Charchika Temple in Cuttack drew thousands of devotees. An early morning visitor to the Lingaraj Temple, Rajesh Sahu, said, “Every year on Jan 1, I come for darshan of Lord Lingaraj. Starting the year with a visit to Lord Shiva’s abode gives me hope and strength to face the challenges ahead. The atmosphere here is so divine.”
Similar scenes were witnessed at Maa Tarini Temple in Ghatagaon, Maa Biraja Temple in Jajpur, Maa Mangala in Kakatpur, Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur, Manikeswar, Bhawani Shankar temples in Bhawanipatna and Lankeswari Temple in Sonepur. Smaller temples across the state also witnessed a huge rush as people preferred to start the new year by offering prayers. Priests conducted special rituals and offered ‘arati’ to mark the occasion. Many temples even organised mass feasts and recitations of holy scriptures.
Elaborate arrangements were made by temple authorities to manage the crowd. At Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation deployed additional staff to ensure cleanliness and crowd management. “We have worked with the police to ensure a smooth darshan experience for devotees as we expected around 50,000 visitors on Jan 1,” a temple official said.
