Bhubaneswar: Revellers in the State bid adieu to 2019 and welcomed New Year 2020 with grandeur today.
People organised parties and functions across the State to celebrate the Zero Night in full gaiety. Different hotels and clubs in Twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Rourkela, Balasore were bedecked to mark the special occasion as people dipped in gaiety of festivities.
Lakhs of people thronged major shrines across the State to seek blessings from the God on the first morning of the New Year.
In Puri Srimandir, the gate of the temple was thrown open to devotees at 2.15 am. Elaborate security arrangements were made by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to ensure hassle-free darshan of the deities. As many as 60 platoons of police force and 100 officers have been deployed in the pilgrim town to maintain law and order.
Thousands of people also thronged Puri beach and Chandrabhaga beach in Konark to witness year's first sunrise early morning today.
Similarly, devotee rush was also witnessed at Baldevjew Temple in Kendrapara on the special day, added reports.
In capital Bhubaneswar too, people made beeline outside Lingaraj Temple to take the glimpse of the Lord and offer special prayers. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple was thrown open for public from 3 am.
Barricades have been installed to ensure smooth darshan and two platoons of forces have also been engaged to maintain discipline.
Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur and Budhi Thakurani temple in Berhampur also witnessed a huge rush in the first day of New Year.
On the other hand, PM Narendra Modi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP Vice President Jay Panda, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Niranjan Patnaik among many others extended new wishes to the people.