Bhubaneswar/Khattak: The state capital was squashed with crowds on Sunday as New Year’s revelers flocked to public places for the first time in two years without coronavirus restrictions. I had a hard time handling the crowds that packed into the venues, tourist spots, hotels and restaurants that day.
Thousands of people have visited the 100-year-old Lingaraj Temple and other shrines in the city’s old town area to offer prayers on the first day of the year. With no restrictions on public gatherings, people celebrating the New Year flocked to attractions in and around the city on Sunday.The number of visitors to the Nandankanan Zoological Park reached about 42,000. The figure was more than 12,000 compared to the previous day, according to .
At the Pathani Samanta planetarium on Acharya Vihar road, authorities had to put on 16 shows that day to meet the demands of visitors. The planetarium has 4-5 shows on a typical day.
People flocked to Dauri Cave, Khandagiri Cave, Udayagiri Cave and the State Museum. Countless selfies and photos were clicked as the crowds continued to thrive at these locations well into the evening.
“The road between the twin caves had already been closed for vehicles for the past three days to facilitate smooth travel for tourists to Kandagiri and Udayagiri during the New Year,” said a BMC official. also issued new parking standards for those visiting the area.
Meanwhile, huge rushes were also witnessed at the Cuttacks of major shrines such as Chandi Mandir, Charchika of Banki, Dama-Damani of Choudwar and Bhattarika of Badamaba. Many visited various tourist attractions such as Larigiri and Anspa.
“The new year is a new beginning for our life. Pritam Swain, who visited the temple in the morning, said: For the past two years,” said Soumya Jena, a student at Bhubaneswar.
