Jaipur, January 02, 2025.
The first day of the new year brought a wave of devotion and celebration, with people flooding temples and tourist destinations in Jaipur and across the state on Wednesday, marking the beginning of 2025 with fervour.
From the bustling lanes of the Walled City to the revered temples, the city was alive with a mix of spiritual and joyous celebrations.
As early as dawn, devotees poured into temples across Jaipur, eager to seek blessings for the year ahead. The famous Moti Dungri Ganesh temple saw an overwhelming crowd, with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma among the many offering prayers there.
At the Govind Dev Ji temple, one of the most revered places in Jaipur, people lined up in large numbers, patiently waiting for darshan. Temples in nearby cites were also buzzing with devotees. Khatu Shyamji in Sikar, Salasar Balaji in Churu, Mehandipur Balaji in Dausa and Shri Sanwariya Seth in Chittorgarh, among others, witnessed long queues as devotees turned out in huge numbers.
For Sikar, it was a two-day spectacle, as several lakhs of devotees offered prayers at the Khatu Shyamji temple. To manage the overwhelming crowd, authorities deployed over a thousand police officers and security guards. More than 350 CCTV cameras were set up to monitor the temple’s vicinity, ensuring the safety and security of visitors.
Jaipur’s iconic tourist destinations, like Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal, also became popular spots for both tourists and locals. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar visited Jaipur’s Amer Fort with his family. Famous cafes, bars, restaurants and clubs were bustling with tourists throughout the day. In some of these places, live bands played popular music, while other venues had DJs entertaining visitors.
In the evening, people thronged Jaipur’s malls in the Malviya Nagar and Jawahar Circle areas in large numbers. Traffic crawled on Tonk Road, near Jawahar Circle, B2 Bypass and JLN Marg due to the surge in visitors all through the day.
