TN ushers in 2026 with night of rivalry, early morning temple visits and rain
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu welcomed 2026 with vibrant celebrations at beaches and public spaces and prayers at temples amid tight security by police who deployed over 1.10 lakh personnel statewide to ensure safety.
The year started with rainfall, possibly the heaviest in a long while on the first day of the year, weather enthusiasts said.
Governor RN Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin extended New Year greetings to the people. The CM expressed confidence that the state would march towards great victories in 2026 with the courage from past struggles.
ALSO READ: Bengaluru rings in New Year with colour, music, people throng temples across state
The Greater Chennai Police mobilised 19,000 personnel and 1,500 home guards, conducting checks at 425 locations and deploying 30 special teams to curb bike racing in hotspots like Guindy, Adyar and Thoraipakkam.
Celebrations were permitted only till 1 am, with bans on sea bathing at beaches including Marina and Elliot's, firecrackers in public areas, and high-decibel music systems without permission.
According to officials, drone surveillance covered the East Coast Road from Panaiyur to Kovalam, while horse-mounted patrols and help desks were stationed at beaches to take strict action against drunk driving and stunts.
Thousands gathered at Marina Beach, Elliot's Beach, Besant Nagar and other venues for midnight countdowns, prayers and family events blending faith with festivities.
Popular spots hosted DJ nights, live bands and fireworks displays at resorts along ECR, with events like beach parties in select locations drawing crowds.
As is tradition, despite rain, fans made their way to their beloved stars, prompting police to post personnel in front of their houses to control the crowd. Crowd started surging in front of superstar Rajnikanth's house early morning itself.
Thousands of people also gathered at places of worship. Long queues for 'darshan' were spotted at almost all temples of Tamil Nadu, particularly the famous ones like the Kapaleeswarar temple and Vadapalani Murugan temple in Chennai, Meenakshi temple in Madurai, Arunachaleswara Temple in Tiruvannamalai, Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram, Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur and Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram.
Crowds surged along the shores of Tamil Nadu to witness the first sunrise of the year.
Unfortunately, at Kanyakumari, famous for its sunsets and sunrises, skies stayed cloudy disappointing countless people who made it there specially to witness the first sunrise. People were already disappointed that they were not able to witness the last sunset on New Year's Eve, due to the cloudy weather.
Abhinaya, who had come all the way from Tenkasi with her family, said she was at the sunrise point by 3 am itself.
"You can imagine how disappointed we are that we could not see the spectacular sunrise of Kanyakumari. But we still hold on to the hope that all will be fine in 2026," said the teenager.
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Air India pilot detained in Vancouver over suspected alcohol use; Delhi flight delayed
New Delhi: An Air India pilot was detained by Canadian authorities at Vancouver International Airport after concerns were raised about his fitness to operate a flight due to a suspected smell of alcohol, leading to a delay of a Delhi-bound flight last week.
The incident occurred on December 23, just ahead of Christmas, when the pilot was scheduled to operate Flight AI186 from Vancouver to Delhi. According to reports, a staff member at the airport’s duty-free store alerted authorities after either seeing the pilot consume alcohol or noticing the smell while he was purchasing it, NDTV reported.
The authorities subjected the pilot to a breath analyser test, which he failed, and he was subsequently detained, the reports said.
In a statement, Air India said the delay was caused after authorities raised concerns regarding the pilot’s fitness for duty.
“Flight AI186 from Vancouver to Delhi on December 23 experienced a last-minute delay after one of the cockpit crew members was offloaded prior to departure. Canadian authorities raised concerns regarding the pilot's fitness for duty, following which the crew member was taken for further inquiry,” the airline said.
"Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers and is fully cooperating with the local authorities. The pilot has been taken off flying duties during the process of the enquiry. The airline maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards violations of applicable rules and regulations. Pending the outcome of the investigation, any confirmed violation will attract strict disciplinary action in line with company policy." he statement said, adding that passenger safety remains its highest priority.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show-cause notice to an Air India cockpit crew for operating multiple flights between Delhi and Tokyo despite being aware of serious compliance lapses. The pilots have been asked to submit their explanation within two weeks.
