Devotees’ rush at places of worship in Lucknow on New Year’s Day

After partying and merry-making with friends and family, thousands, young and old alike, thronged places of worship across the city on Sunday to seek blessings for a prosperous 2023

After partying and merry-making with friends and family, thousands, young and old alike, thronged places of worship across the city on Sunday to seek blessings for a prosperous 2023.

Holidayers at Janeswar Park in Lucknow on Sunday (Deepak Gupta/HT)

Hanuman Setu, located on the banks of the Gomti on Lucknow University Road, was filled with devotees throughout the day. Not just sweets and prasad, but a number of generous citizens were also seen distributing woollen clothes to the poor outside the temple.

Diwakar Tripathi, secretary of Hanuman Setu Temple Trust, said, “Till 4 pm, over 25,000 devotees have had darshan of the deity. The figure may go well past 40,000 by the end of the day. The temple gates open at 6 am and close at 10 pm. Even on ‘bada mangal’ day, we don’t get to see such a rush of devotees.”

The Ramakrishna Math at Nirala Nagar held an inter-faith ‘goodwill’ meeting on New Year’s Day in which religious leaders from Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian faiths spoke on universal brotherhood, and also about respecting other religions, said Swami Muktinathananda, adhyaksh of the Math. Similarly, people gathered in gurdwaras and churches too.

At St Joseph Cathedral Church, Bishop of Catholic Diocese, Fr Gerald J Mathias and

The Lucknow zoo too pulled a huge crowd on the first day of the year as it hosted an estimated 28,924 visitors. The toy train remained a centre of attraction among children. It is perhaps the last year people are visiting the zoo at its present site before it is relocated to its new location in Kukrail. Gomti Riverfront, Chaturi Gali and Janeshwar Misra Park too were overcrowded.

Malls and restaurants remained packed since the afternoon. Footfall there increased as the day progressed.