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Faith cuts through fog as devotees mark New Year across Uttar Pradesh
Thousands of devotees thronged Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on the first day of the new year to offer prayers to Ram Lalla.
The New Year began with a massive pilgrim surge across Uttar Pradesh as dense fog and biting cold failed to deter devotees from thronging major religious centres, prompting extensive security, traffic and crowd-control measures state-wide on Thursday.
Thousands of devotees thronged Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on the first day of the new year to offer prayers to Ram Lalla. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust allowed devotees to perform darshan at the Ram Darbar on the first floor of the temple complex.
Inaugurated in 2024, the temple has emerged as a major pilgrimage destination, drawing millions of visitors since its grand opening on January 22, 2024. From early morning, devotees were seen standing in queues stretching nearly two to three kilometres outside the temple.
Across the temple town, the massive influx of devotees in Ayodhya created a striking display of faith and devotion, with people of all ages arriving to offer prayers to Ram Lalla and Lord Hanuman.
Devotees began gathering at gate no. 3 of the Ram Mandir early in the morning to avoid the rush later in the day. As the day progressed, long queues formed outside the main entrance of the temple, with devotees patiently waiting for their turn to enter the premises.
The temple’s darshan timings for the winter season are from 7:00 am to 9:15 pm, and the Mangala Aarti (morning prayer) is at 4:30 am. To manage the crowd, temple administration suspended all VIP darshan passes for January 1, 2026. Local residents were also requested to postpone their visits to allow space for devotees from outside the city.
According to Ayodhya district magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde, elaborate security arrangements were put in place across the temple town in view of the large turnout of devotees. Owing to the heavy rush, devotees were able to get only around 10 seconds for darshan. However, with efficient crowd management, those using the regular route were able to complete darshan within about half an hour.
A large number of devotees also took a holy dip at the Saryu Ghat before visiting the Ram Temple and offered prayers at Hanuman Garhi, where queues stretched over a kilometre. The Trust had put in place elaborate arrangements to ensure the smooth movement of devotees within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.
VARANASI
In Varanasi, long queues were seen at the Kashi Vishwanath, Sankat Mochan and Kaal Bhairav temples. Officials said the number of pilgrims had been steadily rising over the past six to seven days.
According to the Kashi Vishwanath temple administration, around 3.5 lakh devotees offered prayers at the shrine till Thursday afternoon. Sub-divisional magistrate Shambhu Sharan said arrangements were strengthened from Saturday, with barricading ensured to manage the heavy footfall.
All devotees were allowed only barricaded darshan, while protocol and ‘sparsh’ darshan had been suspended since Wednesday.
Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said 200 additional policemen were deployed along with PAC companies, intensive surveillance, barricading and a streamlined queue system. The stretch from Maidagin to Godowlia was declared a no-vehicle zone, permitting only pedestrian movement, while police vehicles were also restricted.
Meanwhile, Varanasi Junction braced for a surge in passengers ahead of the Magh Mela, which begins on Saturday and will continue till February 15. Station Manager Arpit Gupta said a holding area has been created, more police personnel have been deployed and medical facilities have been enhanced.
Surveillance was strengthened at the station and five special trains will operate from Varanasi Junction during the Magh Mela period, they said.
Heavy pilgrim movement was also reported from Mathura and Vrindavan, where devotees thronged the Banke Bihari and Radha Rani temples despite the cold.
PRAYAGRAJ
Cold weather and dense fog failed to deter devotees as thousands took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj on New Year’s Day on Thursday. From early morning, pilgrims converged at the Sangam to offer prayers and perform ritual bathing on the first day of the year, while continuous public announcements over loudspeakers guided devotees and ensured safety at the ghats.
Brijesh Kesarwani, who came to the ghat with his wife and son, said that they prayed for a good year ahead and the well-being of their family. His wife, Rakhi Kesarwani, said she prayed for happiness and harmony in her family on the first day of the year. Another devotee, Kuldeep Yadav, standing at the ghat, ready for the dip, said he had come to seek the blessings of the Ganga for a peaceful year.
MIRZAPUR
In Mirzapur, the district administration made special arrangements at the Vindhyachal Dham to facilitate the expected influx of 1.5 to 2 lakh devotees on the New Year in view of crowd movement.
Heaters were turned on inside the temple, and bonfires were lit along major routes to give succour from the cold to devotees. Night shelters were set up for those who came from far.
Security was tightened at the temple complex, Ganga ghats and key roads.
District magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar said extensive arrangements had been made to ensure that devotees could have quick and hassle-free darshan. “Queues are being managed systematically so that the crowd remains under control and devotees do not face inconvenience,” he said. With agency inputs
