Patna

Devotees in large numbers thronged temples across Bihar on Thursday to seek blessings on the occasion of New Year's Day.

Patna's famous Mahavir Mandir witnessed a rush of devotees early in the morning despite cold weather.

One of the priests at Mahavir Mandir said, "People queued up here early in the morning even before the gates of the temple were opened for devotees."

He said that proper arrangements have been made and people are "offering prayers peacefully".

BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi also prayed at the temple in the morning.

More than 50 km away in Arrah town of Bihar's Bhojpur district, people made offerings at the historic Aranya Devi temple.

One of the devotees said, "We are connected to this temple with a strong sense of devotion because it has rich historical and spiritual significance through 'Treta' and 'Dwapara' yugas."

He added that from "Lord Ram to the Pandavas of Mahabharata are believed to have offered prayers here" and "people's wishes are fulfilled here".

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The priest at the temple told reporters that the gates were opened as early as 4 am for devotees who had "turned up in large numbers".

Long queues were also seen at Patna's Panch Roopi Mahavir Mandir in Rajbanshi Nagar.