Kashi, Ayodhya: In celebration of the start of the year 2026, devotees go to other holy locations

Kashi, Ayodhya: India celebrated the start of the year with great dedication, while the rest of the globe was engrossed in the excitement of the New Year 2026. As individuals decided to begin the New Year by praying, long lines of devotees were seen outside important religious locations around the nation, igniting a strong religious movement.

At important holy sites like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Shirdi, Ujjain, Amritsar, Haridwar, and Mumbai, thousands of people flocked on New Year’s Day. To handle the huge crowd, temples extended darshan hours and made elaborate preparations. Due to crowd pressure, pilgrims were only given ten seconds for darshan in Ayodhya and Varanasi, where lines extended two to three kilometers with severe barricading.

Ayodhya: Thousands attend the Ram Temple Anniversary
On the second anniversary of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, people flocked to Ayodhya in unusual numbers. At Ram Janmabhoomi, Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan, Ram Path, Angad Tila, and the Saryu Ghats, there were enormous crowds. The large number of youthful devotees, which indicated a developing spiritual bent among them, was a noteworthy highlight.

Varanasi: For darshan, devotees go to Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Thousands of people flocked to Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple to ask Lord Shiva for his blessings. A sizable section of the devotees were young people, who eagerly waited for hours while singing slogans. There were about 10 times as many people as usual this New Year.

Mathura-Vrindavan: Devotees overrun the city
There was hardly any room for movement in Mathura-Vrindavan due to the high volume of foot traffic. Although it was forbidden for cars to enter, the streets were crowded with worshippers. Multiple entry-exit gates were opened, and the Banke Bihari Temple’s darshan periods were extended.

While Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai saw long lines starting in the morning, Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain saw sizable crowds for Bhasma Aarti. Despite the cold, Shirdi, Khatu Shyam Ji, Vaishno Devi in Katra, and Jakhu Temple in Shimla reported large crowds. Thousands of people in Haridwar waited in line for Mansa Devi darshan and took a sacred dip in the Ganga.

Due to a tremendous rush, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board briefly halted registration for the Vaishno Devi yatra on Wednesday. The board advised pilgrims to schedule their visit appropriately, stating that registration would be closed until Thursday morning.