New Year: Devotees go to Golden Temple and shrines to welcome the despite the bitter weather
New Year: Hundreds of pilgrims flocked to the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab, and other sites in the area early on Thursday to celebrate the New Year despite the bitter weather.
Devotees have been waiting since midnight to offer prayers at the Golden Temple complex, which is some 250 kilometers away. On Thursday morning, there were long lines of people inside the sanctum sanctorum, “Harmandir Sahib,” waiting for their time to offer prayers.
In the Golden Temple, a number of devotees were seen swimming in the sacred “sarovar.” “Offering prayers at the Golden Temple on the first day of the New Year is really a blessing. May 2026 be a year full of objectives accomplished and prayers answered, said Delhi devotee Kavita Gupta.
Additionally, a large crowd gathered to worship at the Mata Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula, which is close to Chandigarh.
In other parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, people celebrated the New Year by praying at different shrines.
Gulab Chand Kataria, the governor of Punjab and the administrator of Chandigarh, has wished the people of Punjab and Chandigarh a very happy New Year.
The Governor said in his message that people always greet the start of a new year with a fresh sense of hope, optimism, and ambition. He emphasized that these goals can only be accomplished by teamwork, driven by passion, tenacity, and commitment.
Kataria urged the populace to renew their commitment to strive for the advancement and prosperity of the country and to reaffirm their determination to create a powerful, peaceful, and unified India on this auspicious occasion.
With sincere wishes, the governor wished everyone a happy, healthy, and profitable new year.
Kultar Singh Sandhwan, the speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, also sent wishes and asked for the Almighty to grant Punjabis all of their desires in 2026. He asked God to grant all Punjabis living throughout the world success, happiness, peace, and wealth. “We ought to adhere to the guidance provided by Guru Sahib.”
In order to stay healthy, he advised everyone to engage in regular exercise.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wished everyone a happy and prosperous New Year and prayed to the Almighty. He claimed in a post on X that his administration had given Punjabis improved health care, high-quality education for kids, and jobs for young people the previous year.The development effort would continue, he said. “We took strict action to remove stigmas like drugs and corruption from the forehead of Punjab.”