Residents flock to temples, parks and zoo as Patna rings in New Year

Patna: City residents welcomed the New Year with fervour and enthusiasm, thronging temples, parks and popular tourist spots such as Patna zoo to celebrate the first day of 2026 on Thursday. The city’s temples, including the revered Mahavir Temple and Iskcon Temple, were elaborately decorated and witnessed a massive influx of devotees seeking blessings for the New Year. Parks and recreational areas were abuzz with families and friends enjoying the festive atmosphere. With events and parties across the city, Patna rang in the New Year with music, dance and joy, making it a memorable start to 2026.At Mahavir Temple, the queue for darshan stretched up to 2km from the temple to R-Block with over 4 lakh devotees visiting by nightfall. The temple was adorned with flowers from Kolkata and priests from Ayodhya were specially invited for the occasion. The gates opened at 5am and around 18,000kg ‘Naivedyam’ offerings were sold to devotees who prayed and received blessings for a cheerful New Year.At Iskcon temple, more than 4.5 lakh devotees offered prayers to Lord Krishna. The temple resonated with the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, creating an atmosphere of devotion and spirituality. Devotees participated in dance, kirtan, and harinam sankirtan, and were served mahaprasad after darshan. The temple administration made special arrangements to ensure the convenience and security of all visitors, facilitating a smooth darshan experience.Devotees also thronged the historic Badi Patan Devi Temple in Patna City to seek the blessings of Goddess Durga. The temple premises echoed with chants of "Jai Mata Di" as devotees offered prayers throughout the day. The Mangala Aarti began at 4 am, and darshan and puja continued without interruption.Despite the cold weather, the enthusiasm of devotees remained undiminished, with people travelling from far and wide. One devotee, Rajeshwar Shukla, said, “We believe that visiting the temple on New Year’s Day brings good luck, prosperity, and peace throughout the year.” The temple was decorated with colourful lights, flowers, and torans, enhancing its grandeur.Patna Zoo also saw a large number of visitors, including families and youths. The zoo administration reported a total of 28,462 visitors, comprising 23,302 adults, 5,150 children, and 10 persons with disabilities. Many groups enjoyed picnics, though boating facilities and animal cages remained closed.Similar scenes were observed at Eco Park, Energy Park, Children Park, Veer Kunwar Singh Park, and other recreational areas. Laxman Gupta, a resident of Board Colony, said, “The first day of the New Year should be spent with friends and family. There was a festival-like ambience across the city.”