Celebrating New Beginnings: Hindu Nav Varsh festivities mark Vikram Samvat's start; Communities unite in prayer and cultural celebrations

Jamshedpur: Hindu Nav Varsh was celebrated with religious pomp and gaiety on Thursday.

As the first day of the Chaitra Shukla Pratipada marks the beginning of the Vikram Samvat, devotees visited temples on the auspicious day to offer prayers and seek blessings of the deities for good health and prosperity.

With the nine-day holy Chaitra Navratri beginning from the Chaitra Pratipada, enthusiasts in large numbers visited Goddess Durga and Kali temples to offer special prayers.

Different communities organised social cultural programmes wherein people gathered to extend New Year greetings and celebrate the day.

Telugu community, which observed Ugadi with fun, ushered in the new year by waking up before dawn. The households were cleaned and decorated with varied patterns of colourful rangoli and tied mavidi thoranam (mango leaf strings) to the main entrance.

The enthusiasts donned traditional attire and visited temples to offer prayers.

The Marathi community observed Gudi Padwa festival with immense fervour. The people hoisted the Gudi flag, decorated homes with rangoli, and visited temples to offer prayers on the holy day.