India welcomes new year with fireworks, celebrations, prayers across cities

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Jan 01, 2024: As the world welcomes 2024, celebrations were held with great fervour in many parts of India, featuring parties, fireworks, resolutions, and more. People thronged celebration points in Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities, as well as other parts of the country, to bid farewell to 2023.

 

As the country steps into a new year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished people "a splendid" year ahead.

1. In New Delhi, celebrations were held at many locations across the city. A New Year’s aarti was performed at Jhandewalan Devi Temple, which drew a large crowd. People thronged to India Gate, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, Hauz Khas Village, and other prominent places. More than 10,000 police officials were deployed across the city for the safe conduct of the celebrations. Festivities also soared in adjoining Noida and Gurugram.

2. In Mumbai, thousands gathered at the Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Girgaum Chowpatty and other places on Sunday night to ring in Year 2024. Also, many of the city residents chose to visit religious places, including the famous Siddhivinayak and Mumbadevi temples, and churches.

3. Popular tourist locations in India also saw huge crowds on New Year’s Eve. The country’s one of the most popular tourist spots, Goa, dazzled with a magnificent display of fireworks on the beaches as well as midnight masses in churches. Shimla also saw thousands welcoming the New Year in high spirits, though the city recorded over 60 per cent occupancy till Sunday evening, "the lowest in the last 40 years".

4. For the first year in recent years, people celebrated New Year in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar. Hundreds of locals and tourists thronged the iconic Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowk, Braving sub-zero temperatures. While earlier New Year assemblies were mostly like protests, Sunday’s gathering was of celebration.

5. Welcoming the New Year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, "Wishing everyone a splendid 2024! May this year bring forth prosperity, peace and wonderful health for all.

Courtesy: India Today