Ranchi Temples Gear Up for New Year: Crowd Management, Extended Hours, and Special Rituals

Ranchi: With the New Year approaching, temples across the city have put in place elaborate crowd management systems, extended darshan hours, night-long jagratas and special religious rituals to manage a large influx of devotees.Major shrines, including Ambareshwar Shiv Temple Dham in Khunti district, Chhinnamasta Temple in Ramgarh district, Jagannathpur Temple, and Pahari Temple in Ranchi among others are witnessing heightened activity, with temple management committees coordinating closely with district administrations and police to ensure smooth darshan and public safety.Officials said extensive arrangements have been made, including additional barricading, separate entry and exit routes, deployment of volunteers, CCTV surveillance and adequate police presence, particularly during late-night and early-morning hours. Special attention is being given to elderly devotees, women and children to prevent overcrowding and ensure orderly movement.At Pahari Mandir, authorities decided to open the temple gates at 4 am, earlier than the usual 5:30 am, to facilitate early darshan. Additional barricading is being installed around the hilltop shrine to manage the expected rush of devotees on New Year. SDO and secretary at Pahari Mandir Vikash Samiti, Utkarsh Kumar, said, "Special decorations are being put in place to mark the occasion, adding to the festive and devotional atmosphere at the temple. Around 50 trained volunteers, along with adequate police and security personnel, have been deployed to assist devotees, manage crowds and ensure smooth movement and safety throughout the celebrations."