New Year 2026: Devotees continue to throng Puri Srimandir for Lord Jagannath darshan

Odisha’s Puri witnessed an unprecedented rush, as a large number of devotees continue to throng Shree Jagannath Temple to mark the beginning of the New Year. The temple town remained packed since early morning, with long queues stretching far outside the shrine.

On the occasion of the New Year on Thursday, lakhs of devotees and tourists from across the country rushed to Puri, braving dense fog and cold-wave conditions. Lakhs of devotees began the New Year by offering prayers and having darshan of the sibling deities. The city continued to witness large-scale gatherings on Friday, a day after the New Year.

A massive crowd was witnessed along the Badadanda throughout the night, as devotees continued to offer prayers at the Jagannath Temple till 1:55 am.

After darshan, devotees expressed deep gratitude and spiritual fulfilment. One devotee from Kanpur said, “We have come all the way from Kanpur. We have heard stories of Lord Jagannath from our mothers since childhood, and this is our first visit to Puri. We wanted to begin the New Year by seeking His blessings.”

In view of the massive turnout, security measures have been heightened in the city, with the police administration stepping up arrangements to manage the rush. Adequate forces were deployed for crowd control, traffic management, and the smooth conduct of darshan to ensure safety and order amid the surge of pilgrims.