• Two lakh ladoos distributed at Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple at Vijayanagar
• Thousands queue up before Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill
• Tourist places like Mysuru Zoo, Palace, KRS teeming with visitors

Mysuru: Performances by artistes, DJ shows, live orchestras, concerts and dazzling displays of fireworks marked the zero hour celebrations at various party hotspots as city residents ushered in the New Year. The morning after, however, saw people visiting temples and churches to pray for a perfect start to the New Year.

The decibel level at parties hit fever pitch as people let their hair down and enjoyed the year’s last night to the fullest prior to the countdown at midnight. Couples, friends, and families with children danced their way at the parties hosted at various hotels, clubs and resorts.

People started the first day of the New Year on an auspicious note by offering special prayers at various shrines. Thousands of devotees queued up at Sri Yoga Narasimhaswamy Temple in Vijayanagar braving cold (today the climate was extra cold).

Special pujas began as early as 3 am. Temple authorities distributed two lakh ladoos and puliogare prasadam to devotees specially prepared for the occasion. As many as 60 persons were designated to distribute ladoos and prasadam.

Sri Lakshmivenkataramanaswamy Temple at Vontikoppal, Chandramouleshwara Temple near  Mathrumandali Circle, Raghavendraswamy Temple at Jayalakshmipuram, 101 Ganapathy Temple at Agrahara, Ganapathi Temples at Paduvarahalli, Gokulam Aralimara and High-Tension Road in Vijayanagar, Chamundeshwari Temple at Surya Bakery Circle in Mahadeshwara Layout and Annapoorneshwari Temple at Hebbal also witnessed rush.  

Chamundi Hill

Thousands of devotees flocked the iconic Chamundi Hill to offer special prayers to Goddess Chamundeshwari. Apart from tourists, local visitors, students, newly married couples thronged the temple from early in the morning. Police faced a tough time in controlling the crowd. A large number of devotees offered prayers after climbing the over 1,080 steps. As all the parking lots were filled with vehicles, the temple authorities and the Police had opened the newly built multi-level parking lot atop the hill to facilitate parking.

Anjaneyaswamy and Ganapathi Temples near Mysore Palace North Gate, Nazarbad Mahadeshwara Temple, Kurubarahalli Bannimahakali Temple, Bandanthamma Temple in Kuvempunagar, Durgamma Temple at Ittigegud, Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashrama, Uttanahalli Jwalamukhi Tripura Sundari Temple and other temples in city also witnessed heavy rush.

Apart from this, Sri Ranganathaswamy and Nimishamba Temples at Srirangapatna, Srikanteshwaraswamy Temple in Nanjangud, Gunjanarasimhaswamy Temple in T. Narasipura and other Temples adjoining Mysuru saw extra rush.

Tourist places like Mysuru Zoo, Brindavan Gardens, Mysore Palace, Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary and other tourist hotspots in and around Mysuru were teeming with tourists. A number of youngsters in city continued to celebrate the New Year by cutting cakes on various roads, public streets and parks even this morning.

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