Chandigarh/Amritsar, Jan 1 : Braving biting cold, hundreds of devotees thronged the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab and other shrines in the region early on Thursday to usher in the New Year.

At the Golden Temple complex, around 250 km from here, the devotees queued up since midnight to offer prayers. Long queues could be seen on Thursday morning with people waiting for their turn to offer prayers inside the 'Harmandir Sahib', the sanctum sanctorum.

Several devotees could be seen taking a dip in the holy 'sarovar' in the Golden Temple. â??We are really blessed to offer prayers in the Golden Temple on the first day of the New Year. May 2026 be filled with prayers answered and goals achieved,â?? Kavita Gupta, a devotee from Delhi, said.

Also, people thronged the Mata Mansa Devi shrine in Panchkula near Chandigarh to offer prayers.

Elsewhere in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, people offered prayers at various shrines to mark the New Year.

Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, has extended warm greetings and best wishes to the people of Punjab and Chandigarh on the occasion of the New Year.

In his message, the Governor said the arrival of the New Year is always welcomed with renewed hope, optimism and aspirations. He emphasised that these aspirations can be realised only through collective effort, guided by zeal, determination and dedication.

On this joyous occasion, Kataria called upon the people to reaffirm their resolve to build a strong, peaceful and united India, and to rededicate themselves to working for the nationâ??s progress and prosperity.

The Governor conveyed his heartfelt greetings and wished everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has also extended greetings and wished that the Almighty may fulfil all the dreams of Punjabis in 2026. He prayed to God to give happiness, peace, success and prosperity for all Punjabis residing across the globe. â??We should follow the path shown by Guru Sahib.â??

He urged the people to do regular exercise in their lives so that they remain hale and hearty.

Extending the New Year greetings, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann prayed that the Almighty fill people's lives with happiness and success. In a post on X, he wrote that last year his government provided the people of Punjab with better health facilities, good education for children, and employment for youth.

"We took strict action to remove stigmas like drugs and corruption from the forehead of Punjab," he said, adding that the development works will continue.

/IANS