Jaipur, Jan 1 (NationPress) The New Year commenced with an overwhelming influx of devotees at prominent temples throughout Rajasthan, resulting in extensive queues and significant traffic congestion from the early morning hours.

In Jaipur, worshippers began gathering outside the Govinddevji Temple and Motidungri Ganeshji Temple as early as 4 a.m. The surge of pilgrims caused heavy traffic at Badi Chaupar and Chandi Ki Taksal Road within the historic Parkote area.

Many vehicles entering the vicinity were transporting devotees eager for darshan at Govinddevji Temple. In Sikar, the doors of Khatushyamji Temple remained open continuously for the past six days, allowing devotees to seek darshan until late at night on Thursday.

To celebrate the New Year, a machine-generated snowfall was organized at the temple grounds, enhancing the festive ambiance.

To control the crowd, a 17-kilometer pedestrian route from Ringas to Khatu was declared a no-vehicle zone from 10 a.m. on Wednesday until 10 a.m. on January 2. In Chittorgarh district, entry to Shri Sanwaliyaji Temple is restricted to the Meera Circle gate until January 2 as a part of crowd management measures.

Meanwhile, a significant number of devotees flocked to Mehandipur Balaji Temple in Dausa to seek blessings on New Year’s first day.

Overall, temples across the state experienced a remarkable turnout, showcasing the profound faith and traditional New Year devotion among the populace.

A large gathering formed early Thursday morning at Trinetra Ganesh Temple in Sawai Madhopur as devotees arrived for New Year darshan.

By around 6 a.m., a traffic queue extending nearly half a kilometer formed on the access road, leading to prolonged delays. Traffic remained halted for an extended duration due to the continued influx of devotees.

Devotees started arriving at Khadi Ganesh Temple in Rangbari, Kota, from 5 a.m., though adverse weather conditions resulted in a smaller crowd than usual. Temple officials observed a significant decline in attendance compared to previous years.

Salasar Balaji Temple in Churu opened its doors at 1 a.m. for New Year darshan. By 7 a.m., approximately 70,000 devotees had already paid their respects. Officials predict that over 150,000 devotees may visit the temple throughout the day.

At the historic Govind Devji Temple in Jaipur, devotees lined up as early as 4 a.m. for Mangala Jhanki darshan. The Motidungri Ganesh Temple experienced a heavy rush from the morning as families came to seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha on the first day of the New Year.

A sudden influx of vehicles towards Govind Devji Temple caused traffic jams at Badi Chaupar around 4 a.m., with cars lined up bumper-to-bumper as pilgrims made their way for early morning darshan.