Thousands throng temples on New Year

Kolkata: Thousands of devotees thronged Dakshineswar Kali Temple and Kalighat on the first day of the New Year to seek blessings from the almighty.

Lakhs of devotees from across the state gathered at Dakshineswar temple and Cossipore’s Udyanbati on Sunday to worship Ma Bhabatarini on the occasion of
Kalpataru Utsav, which is celebrated on this day every year in memory of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

Kalpataru Utsab marks the metamorphosis of Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa also the guru of Swami Vivekananda into a Kalpataru (magical tree).

After paying a visit to one of the temples, people, across all age, thronged popular tourist spots such as the Millennium Park, Victoria Memorial, Alipore Zoo,
Science City, Eco Park and Nicco Park to celebrate the first day of the New Year. The buzz in the city doubled up as the occasion fell on a Sunday and there was a nip in the air which made the weather pleasant for the revellers. For those who had started the New Year celebration on 31st night, Sunday was the day to put an end to it.

“Today is the end of a long weekend and we want to enjoy the day to the fullest before work resumes on Monday,” said a private sector employee at Victoria
Memorial. Despite being it a Sunday, the long lines of vehicles and public transport clogged the major roads in the city and traffic came to a standstill. The trains and metro rails were crowded as a large number of people came from suburbs to soak in the festive spirit. Police made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident.