Devotees throng Tirumala Temple to offer prayers on New Year

Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 1 (ANI): To mark the New Year 2025, a large number of devotees thronged the Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and is one of the most visited religious sites in the nation. It attracts millions of devotees annually.
Speaking to ANI, one of the devotees, Mahalakshmi extended greetings on the New Year.
"We came yesterday for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. The darshan was very good. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year," Mahalaxmi said.
Another devotee Chaitanya stated that he comes to Tirumala Mandir every New Year to celebrate the day and offer prayers.
"Every year, I used to come here for darshan during the New Year. There are usually a lot of people, but this time, the crowd was less. The darshan was completed quickly. The facilities here are good, and the SSD tokens were available quickly. I will visit the local temple and then return," Chaitanya said.
Chiranjeevi stated, "I came from Hyderabad for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. The facilities are good in the area where 3 to 5 lakh devotees can gather. I came for the darshan on New Year. The darshan was completed well in 3 hours."
Meanwhile, people from all over the country gathered in large numbers in temples and churches to mark the new year, whether it was Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi, Ajmer, Tirupati, or Guwahati, people flocked to iconic religious spots to celebrate the day.
Amid inclement weather conditions in the national capital Delhi, people commenced their day with morning prayers and 'aarti' at the famous Pracheen Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place. Similar visuals were there from the Jhandewalan temple in the capital city.
Devotees thronged in large numbers to the Kalkaji temple while Chhatarpur temple and Birla Mandir witnessed a mesmerising morning aarti.
In Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh showed a huge large number of people visiting Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple to offer their prayers on the very first day of 2025.
The holy city Varanasi and its residents started their day with majestic Ganga Aarti which was performed at Assi Ghat.
India welcomed 2025 with celebrations across the country, as people in various cities marked the occasion with joy and enthusiasm. New Year celebrations began in many cities with parties, cultural events, live music performances, and themed decorations.
In Delhi, famous spots like Hauz Khas, Connaught Place, and Lajpat Nagar were filled with large crowds celebrating the New Year. To ensure a safe celebration, Delhi Police made prior security arrangements. (ANI)