Mumbai: The dawn of the New Year 2026 was marked by deep faith and spiritual fervour as thousands of devotees gathered at Mumbai’s iconic Siddhivinayak Temple to seek blessings on the very first day of the year. From the early hours of January 1, the temple resonated with chants and prayers, creating an atmosphere of devotion and positivity. For many worshippers, attending the first aarti of the year was a moment of joy and spiritual fulfilment, setting a hopeful tone for the months ahead.
Devotees Attend 1st Aarti Of Jan 1, 2026
Visuals from the early morning aarti showed the temple premises filled with devotees, all immersed in religious devotion. Anticipating a massive turnout, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Mandir Trust made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth crowd management and a comfortable darshan experience. Expecting nearly three to four lakh devotees over the course of the day, the temple authorities opened the shrine much earlier than usual, at 3:15 am, as devotees began lining up from midnight itself.
Siddhivinayak Temple Gears Up For New Year's Rush
A special darshan schedule was implemented to accommodate the surge. After the mahapuja, naivedhya and morning aarti conducted between 5:30 am and 6:00 am, the temple is set to remain open for uninterrupted darshan until noon. Following a brief break for naivedhya, darshan will resume at 12:30 pm and continue throughout the day, with short pauses in the evening for the dhoop aarti and the main evening aarti. The temple will close for the day at 11:30 pm.
To prioritise crowd flow and ensure equal access, the Trust announced the suspension of all special pujas on January 1. Trust CEO Veena Patil stated that dedicated queues are arranged for women, senior citizens, parents with infants, persons with disabilities and pregnant women. LED screens have been installed along the waiting areas to allow devotees to watch live telecasts of temple rituals while standing in queues.
Health and convenience measures are also strengthened. A medical post has been set up to address emergencies, while free tea and milk will be distributed to devotees waiting for darshan. Laddoos and other prasad are made available at designated counters. In addition, free footwear storage facilities will also be provided throughout the day.
To ease travel, a free feeder bus service has been introduced between Dadar railway station and the temple. Devotees are also encouraged to use the Siddhivinayak Temple metro station to avoid traffic congestion, ensuring a smooth and spiritually enriching start to the New Year 2026.
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