Faith over frost as devotees throng Golden Temple and religious places on New Year’s Day
Chandigarh/Amritsar (The Uttam Hindu): Despite the biting cold, hundreds of devotees thronged the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, and other nearby religious sites on Thursday morning to welcome the New Year. Devotees had been queuing up since midnight to offer prayers at the Golden Temple. Long queues were seen outside the temple on Thursday morning, with people waiting for their turn to offer prayers inside the 'Harmandir Sahib', the holy place.
Many devotees were seen taking a dip in the sacred 'Sarovar' of the Golden Temple. Kavita Gupta, a devotee from Delhi, said that it is indeed a privilege for us to pray at the Golden Temple on the first day of the New Year. May God bless 2026 with the fulfillment of prayers and the achievement of goals. Besides, people also thronged the Mata Mansa Devi Temple in Panchkula near Chandigarh to offer prayers. People in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh also offered prayers at various religious places on the occasion of the New Year.
Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria extended his heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the people of Punjab and Chandigarh on the occasion of the New Year. In his message, the Governor said that the New Year is always welcomed with renewed hope, optimism, and aspirations. He emphasized that these aspirations can only be realized through collective efforts driven by passion, determination, and dedication.
On this occasion, Kataria called upon the people to reaffirm their resolve to build a strong, peaceful, and united India and to rededicate themselves to the nation's progress and prosperity. The Governor extended greetings and wished everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also extended New Year greetings. He wished that the Almighty fulfill all the dreams of Punjabis in 2026. He prayed to God that all Punjabis living around the world receive happiness, peace, success, and prosperity.
He urged people to incorporate regular exercise into their lives so that they remain healthy and fit. Extending New Year greetings, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann prayed that the Almighty fills people's lives with happiness and success. In the post, he wrote that last year his government provided better healthcare facilities, good education for children and employment for the youth to the people of Punjab.
He said, "We have taken strict action to remove the stigma of drugs and corruption from Punjab's image. He also said that development work will continue."