JOIN USColourful beginning to New Year in 'City of Palaces'
Illumination of the Mysuru Palace and fireworks on the Doddakere Grounds, opposite the Jayamarthanda Gate of the Palace, at the strike of 12 midnight, heralded the beginning of the New Year, in the city.
Thousands of people, including tourists, gathered at the Palace to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. As part of the Winter Festival, that includes Christmas and the New Year, various programmes such as music and dance, were held on the Palace premises.
The flower show was the main attraction. The people, mainly youth, revelled on the Palace premises. Besides, the people gathered at many venues, such as quadrangles of apartments, parks, resorts, hotels, restaurants, clubs, community halls and even on roads, to celebrate the occasion. In many places, firecrackers were burst and fireworks were displayed.
Over-speeding vehicles, rash driving and wheeling were a common scene on the roads, despite Police warnings against such acts on various media. Police security had been beefed up across the city, mainly on main roads like D Devaraja Urs Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, and Ashoka Road.
The police had also restricted parking of vehicles at various vantage points. Movement of both people and vehicles were monitored on CCTV cameras.
Vehicular traffic was restricted on Chamundi Hill from 10 pm on Monday to 6 am on Tuesday. Similarly, entry on the only flyover of the city on the Hunsur Road at Hinkal was banned from 8 pm on Monday up to 6 am on Tuesday.
The police distributed gifts, greeting cards and flowers to law-abiding vehicle users at all main junctions of the city, on Tuesday.
Devotees were found in all temples across the city from Monday evening itself. The rush in the temples continued on Tuesday morning. Long queues were a common sight in all places of worship of Hindus. Over 2 lakh ladus, similar to the ones in Tirupathi, was distributed among the devotees, on Tuesday, at Yoaganarasimha Swamy temple, founded by Bhashyam Swamiji in Vijayanagar First Stage.
Special midnight mass was held in all churches across the city. Bishop K A William took part in the mass at St Philomena’s Church.