Devotees throng Mahavir Temple to perform puja on the first day of the year. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Jan. 1: The inclement weather in the state capital spoiled the revellers’ plans but failed to deter devotees, many of whom thronged the temples to seek divine blessings for the year ahead.

Sources said thousands of devotees turned up at Panchrupi Hanuman temples on Bailey Road and Boring Canal Road. Mahavir Temple near Patna Junction took the cake: around 1 lakh people went to offer prayers there, said a source.

The crowd and the relentless drizzle did not dampen their enthusiasm and most of them were very happy to seek the blessings of Sankat Mochan.

“It is good to start the new year with the blessings of Lord Hanuman,” said Boring Road resident Jyoti Raj.

The engineering student, who had come to Mahavir Temple, added: “Everyone has his or her own way of celebrating the first day of the year. Some people go for picnics or parties; I prefer to come to the temple. I believe Hanuman’s blessing will give me the power to achieve my New Year resolutions.”

Sources said though the practice of visiting temples was a new phenomenon among the youth, it has always been popular among homemakers, many of whom also turned up to offer prayers today.

One of them, Alka Rani, said: “It gives me immense satisfaction to visit the temple on the first day of the year. I believe that every man or woman should start his or her day after taking the blessing of a god, preferably Lord Hanuman. I could have gone to a hotel for a party or organised a picnic. But it would have not been right to start the year without the blessings of the god.”

Rupangi Yadav, one of the devotees and the wife of former city superintendent of police, said: “We will have a lot of time to have fun and enjoy, but the first day of the year must start with the blessings of god. It seems many people share my belief. The crowd at the temple has given a festive feel to New Year.”

The festive mood was augmented by good arrangement. The temple authorities were prepared for the rush.

Acharya Kishore Kunal, the chairperson of Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts, said: “I knew that many people come to the temple on the first day of the year. So, I gave the order to open the temple at 4.30am.” The temple usually opens its gates around 6 in the morning.

He added: “The residents believe that if they start the first day with divine blessings, the rest of the year will pass happily. Around 1 lakh people visited the temple today. I was amazed to see the discipline among them. The devotees followed the rules and did not break the queue while entering the temple.”