Chennai, Jan 1 (UNI) The people of this teeming megapolis ushered in the New year 2025 with spiritual fervour traditional gaiety and great enthusiasm in Tamil Nadu.
As the clock struck 12, shouts of ‘Happy New Year’ rent the air, with the decibel level reaching a crescendo, as lakhs of people, including women and children, who had congregated at the World second longest Marina beach ushered in the 2025 in high ‘spirits’.
According to reports nearly ten lakh people have thronged the beach fronts across the State, including at the sprawling Marina, where people cut cakes, danced to the playing of music of popular film songs and beating of drums, amid rapturous celebrations.
People also burst crackers to welcomes 2025, despite police ordering a ban as fireworks lit the night skies.
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, Chief Minister M K Stalin and leaders of various political parties greeted the people on the occasion and wished that the dawn of 2025 would usher in prosperity, wealth and happiness in their lives.
Across the State the New Year was celebrated with fervour with the police deploying one lakh personnel in all districts to ensure a peaceful, safe and happy celebrations, devoid of any untoward incident
It was a sea of humanity at the Marina beach front as the milling crowd celebrated the occasion with fervour.
The scene was no different in Santhome beach, Besant nagar Elliots beach and the Neelangarai as the entire ECR stretch beach front was teemed with people thronging the beach to usher in 2025.
The new year was also celebrated by various residential associations.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements and more than 20,000 police personnel were deployed on security duty in the city, including at the entire ECR stretch and across the Chennai city.
Milling crowds were seen in several hotels and shopping malls and at theme parks to celebrate the new year.
Police had imposed stringent regulations on hotels to ensure that no untoward incident happened.
The traffic on the Kamarajar Salai on Marina right from War Memorial to the Light House junction was stopped from 2000 hrs last night till till 0600 hrs on Wednesday morning.
Several traffic diversions were announced and parking lots were also set up for those assembling at the Beach front, while all the 34 flyovers in the city were shut to prevent any untoward incident before they were re-opened this morning for normal traffic. .
Vehicle check posts were set up and barricades were erected in vital installations across the city, including on the arterial beach road, and the crowd management was done through drone cameras and steps were taken by forming special teams to prevent drunken, driving rash driving, bike racing, eve teasing, chain snatching and other incidents of crime, besides keeping a surveillance on the movement of anti-social elements.
A drine show, involving 200 drones, was also organised by the police department that had the crowed spellbound.
All Terrain Vehicles were deployed on the beach as a precautionary measures, watch towers erected and police personnel mounted on horseback were monitoring the sea front, to prevent people from entering the sea shore for bathing, which was already prohibited.
Southern Railway and the Metropolitan Transport Corporation operated special bus various destinations for the benefit of public.
People ushered in the new year by drawing colourful rangolis in front of their houses.
Special midnight masses were held in various churches across the state and the churches were tastefully decorated and illuminated to mark the occasion.
Thousands of faithfuls thronged the Santhome Basilica in the city and at Velankanni Church in Besant Nagar in the city.
Special poojas and abhishekams were also held at various temples across the State.
People attired in new clothes thronged temples early in the morning to offer worship.
Large crowds were seen in all temples across the State where special pujas were held.
A large number of devotees offered prayers at the ancient Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, Lord Varadharajaswamy temple at Kancheepuram, Goddess Meenakshi Amman temple at Madurai, Goddess Kamatchi Amman temple in Kancheepuram, and at Vadapalani Murugan Temple in Chennai and at Sri Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram.
Huge crowds were also seen in all the six abodes of Lord Muruga as devotees thronged in large numbers to offer prayers, besides in all places of worship including the famous Shrine Velankanni Temple at Besant Nagar city and at Nagapattinam and other churches in the districts.
