Bhubaneswar: People across Odisha immersed in new year revelries to accord a grand welcome to 2024 amid zero-night celebrations, parties and visits to shrines and popular spots.
While hotels and restaurants across the state witnessed huge rush on new year eve amid dance and musical performances, many thronged temples and popular sites with near and dear ones to usher 2024.
Apart from state capital Bhubaneswar, people from all walks of life engaged in accorded a grand welcome to the new year in their unique way in places like Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Baripada, Balasore and Puri.
All bid a cheerful farewell to 2023 and welcomed the new year with joy and gaiety. Many chose to begin the year by visiting places of worship and offering prayers, while others thronged hotels, clubs and pubs to celebrate.
In the pilgrim town of Puri, Jagannath Temple witnessed a heavy rush of devotees welcoming the new year by offering prayers. In view of the heavy crowd, the temple gates opened at 1 am in the night. The temple administration and district administration made elaborate arrangements for the smooth darshan of the Holy Trinity.
As per the earlier decision, the temple authorities are prioritizing the decent dress code and enforcing the ban of tobacco consumption inside the temple complex.
People also flocked in large numbers to temples in other parts of the State to offer their prayers on the last day of the year. ISCOKN temple, Lingaraj temple also saw a crowd of pilgrims on the morning of the new year.
Lavish celebrations were held at star hotels, and clubs in Bhubaneswar as people welcomed the new year with light and dance shows and performances.
Laser shows and and other cultural events also marked the beginning of the new year at many places. People were seen welcoming the new year by bursting firecrackers during the zero night.
A large number of people visited beaches in the state, including Chandrabhaga in Konark and Puri, to witness the first sunrise of the year and offer prayers to the Sun God. Tourist spots and picnic sites also witnessed heavy footfall across the state.
Governor Raghubar Das and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have greeted the people on the occasion.
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