Uttar Pradesh's religious hotspots packed with devotees for New Year celebrations

Ayodhya/Mathura/Varanasi: As the New Year approaches, Uttar Pradesh's iconic religious destinations -- Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura -- are experiencing an overwhelming influx of devotees.

With enhanced security measures and detailed crowd management plans in place, these holy cities are prepared to accommodate the huge number of pilgrims flocking to temples and sacred sites for a spiritual start to 2025.

Ayodhya is witnessing a massive surge in devotees ahead of the New Year, particularly with the newly consecrated Ram temple attracting thousands eager to seek blessings from Lord Ram.

The hotel accommodations in Ayodhya and nearby Faizabad are fully booked and the temple trust has extended the "darshan" hours to manage the expected crowd.

"We are ready to welcome the devotees and all our rooms have been reserved through January 15," said Ankit Mishra, the owner of a hotel.

While the Hindu New Year is celebrated around March-April, many devotees opt to visit on the first day of the English calendar year for a glimpse of Ram Lalla.

"They wish to start the year with blessings from the deity," explained Ramakant Tiwari, a local priest.

This New Year marks the first since the Ram temple's consecration, making it a particularly significant occasion.

Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajkaran Nayyar confirmed robust security arrangements across key religious sites like the Ram temple, Hanumangarhi and Guptar Ghat.

Varanasi is also bracing for an unprecedented number of visitors this New Year.

To handle the influx, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple has banned "sparsh (touch) darshan" from December 31 to January 1. The visitors will be allowed to view the deity from a distance to avoid overcrowding.

The police have implemented extensive security measures, with 45 duty points across major locations, including Assi Ghat and Sankat Mochan Temple.

Kashi Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Gaurav Bansal said the NDRF, Water Police and PAC teams have been deployed at key points.

With an estimated five to seven lakh visitors, the temple area has been divided into five sectors and 12 quick reaction teams are on standby to handle any emergency.

Mathura-Vrindavan is also seeing an enormous crowd of devotees. The temple authorities have urged the elderly, sick and children to avoid visiting during peak time.

"We advise the devotees to assess the crowd before visiting to prevent inconvenience," said Munish Sharma, the manager of Banke Bihari Temple.

The temple has implemented a strict one-way entry and exit system to prevent jostling.

To manage the influx, the security personnel have been increased and heavy vehicles have been banned from Vrindavan. E-rickshaws have been introduced to transport the visitors to the temples.

The police have set up barriers and deployed officers to ensure smooth movement and safety, with special parking arrangements for the visitors arriving from different routes.