PM Modi extends New Year greetings

PM Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended New Year greetings and wished that it will be filled with hope, happiness and lots of success.

"Have a great 2023! May it be filled with hope, happiness and lots of success. May everyone be blessed with wonderful health," the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

People across the country thronged temples to offer prayers on the first day of the New Year.

A 'Ganga aarti' was performed at Varanasi's Assi Ghat in the early hours on Sunday. People gathered at the ghat to watch the Ganga aarti.

In Ujjain, devotees gathered at Mahakaleshwar Temple to get a glimpse of morning aarti on Sunday.

'Bhasma aarti' of Lord Shiva was performed in the early morning hours at the Mahakaleshwar Temple.

Also read: IN PHOTOS: As Mumbai welcomes New Year, huge crowds seen at Juhu; security beefed up

Mahakaleshwar's Bhasma Aarti is believed as the most special, as it is the only 'Jyotirling' amongst the 12 where the Bhasma is applied on the 'Shivling'.

Hence, it is one of the reasons why people from all across the world come to attend it, according to the Mahakaleshwar priest.

Meanwhile, morning prayers were also performed at Mumbai's iconic Siddhivinayak Temple. Devotees thronged Siddhivinayak Temple to watch the morning aarti on Sunday, the first day of the new year.

With dazzling fireworks and electrifying music, cities across India welcomed the year 2023 with much pomp and show.

From Delhi to Mumbai and Chennai to Kolkata, the mood on the December 31st night was like a merry-go-round.

In Delhi, people in large numbers gathered at India Gate to celebrate New Year. Special parties were organized at pubs and clubs in different parts of the national capital.

Excitement was on the rocks in Mumbai, the 'city of dreams' where people were swaying to the exhilarating musical extravaganza at the pubs. A huge crowd flocked to Marine Drive in Mumbai to celebrate New Year.

Goa turned into a utopia of merriment with beaches dazzled with colourful lighting. DJ parties were organized at hotels and resorts. Almost all major casinos, restaurants and bars organised music programmes and other special events to celebrate the new year.

People celebrated the arrival of the New Year with dazzling lights, music and dance in Uttarakhand's Mussoorie. Similarly, a huge crowd emerged at Mall Road in Himachal Pradesh's Manali to welcome the New Year.

In Odisha's Puri, renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created an 8-feet high and 15-feet long sand sculpture of Lord Jagannatha at Puri beach to welcome New Year.

Pattnaik created the deities of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra using 10 tons of sand. He decorated the sculpture with flowers and wrote the message "Jai Jagannath".

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