Amid cold, devotees throng Golden Temple to usher in New Year

Notwithstanding the sweeping cold wave conditions and dense fog, tourists from around the world and country paid obeisance at the Golden Temple to usher in New Year. SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was among the devotees who visted the shrine.

An influx of tourists was recorded at night as devotees preferred to start the New Year by paying obeisance at the gurdwara.

Besides Harsimrat, former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal would pay their respects at the shrine at the dawn of every first day of New Year. However, this time, he would visit the gurdwara on Wednesday morning.

A Russian family comprising six children and parents could also be seen heading to the shrine. Putting up in the rooms of NRI Sarai being run by the SGPC, Yan, a devotee, said his family had been celebrating the New Year by paying obeisance at the Golden Temple for some years.

The memories of having visited Golden Temple years ago brought Arijit from Delhi to commence the New Year from the shrine, which gives him inner peace and instills the feeling of devotion in him.

Similar views were aired by Savitri Singh from Malaysia and a businesswoman from Bengaluru, Loveleen Multani, who also came here with their families.