Patna: Major temples across Patna are making extensive preparations for an expected surge of devotees on New Year’s Day, with enhanced security, crowd management measures and elaborate decorations planned across the city.
At the Mahavir Temple, one of Patna’s most visited religious sites, authorities expect particularly heavy footfall. The temple will open at 5am on January 1 and remain accessible to worshippers until 10pm. Volunteers will be deployed to manage crowds, while the temple’s three spires are being illuminated with decorative lighting.
More than 15,000kg of prasad is being prepared for distribution, with artisans from Tirupati overseeing its preparation. Additional counters have been set up to ease congestion, and separate queues have been arranged for men and women. Priests from Ayodhya have also been invited to facilitate quicker offerings and prayers.
The ISKCON temple on Buddha Marg will observe New Year prayers in two sessions, opening from 7am to 1pm and again from 4pm to 9pm. The temple is being adorned with around eight tonnes of flowers, including jasmine sourced from Thailand, roses from Pune, and other varieties from Kolkata and Bengaluru. Kheer will be distributed as prasad, while bhajan and kirtan groups from Vrindavan and Mayapur are scheduled to perform.
Special arrangements have also been made at the Pancharupi Hanuman Temple in Rajvanshi Nagar, where a ceremonial offering will be held on the morning of January 1. The temple is being decorated with colourful lights, and security has been tightened to manage the anticipated crowds. Separate queues for male and female devotees have been organised, and around 30 quintals of naivedyam have been ordered for distribution as prasad.
Authorities across temples said the measures aim to ensure smooth movement of devotees and a safe start to the New Year.
