Bengaluru rings in New Year with colour, music, people throng temples across state
Bengaluru (PTI): Colour, music and celebration marked New Year euphoria across Bengaluru from the night of December 31, with huge number of people stepping out to welcome 2026 amid lights, laughter and heightened security.
From the stroke of midnight, central business districts, IT corridors and residential neighbourhoods echoed with cheers.
Signature destinations of Bengaluru's cosmopolitan identity such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street and Indiranagar turned into hubs of celebration, glowing with decorative lighting, live music, DJs and spontaneous frolic, while restaurants and pubs hosted special countdown events.
As the clock struck 12 am, fireworks lit up the skyline at multiple locations, with families and groups exchanging greetings, cutting cakes and sharing sweets.
Youngsters waved glowing props and mobile phones, capturing the moment, while many offered prayers at temples and churches that held special services to mark the New Year.
The Bengaluru Police had made elaborate arrangements to ensure peaceful celebrations, deploying additional personnel across sensitive zones and enforcing traffic diversions in crowded areas.
Barricades, CCTV surveillance and night-long patrolling helped regulate the festive crowds, with officials appealing to citizens to celebrate responsibly.
The blend of modern party culture and traditional rituals reflected Bengaluru's cosmopolitan spirit, as the city ushered in the New Year with hope, harmony and high spirits.
As the new year dawned on Thursday, devotees flocked temples in the state seeking the divine blessings for a good start in 2026.
People stood in long queues in front of temples with coconuts, incense sticks and flowers to offer to the deities.
In Bengaluru, there was a huge rush of devotees at 'Dodda Ganapati' and 'Dodda Basavanna' temples in Basavanagudi area.
People thronged the centuries-old Vasantha Vallabharaya temple in Vasanthapura.
Devotees also made a beeline to Banashankari Devi temple.
The rush in temples kept the priests busy from the morning, who were engaged in various rituals including 'Homa' (fire ritual).
In Mysuru, huge rush was witnessed in Chamundeshwari temple, the presiding deity of the historical city, and also in Yoga Narasimha shrine.
In Mangaluru, Kadri Manjunatha Swamy temple saw huge crowd since morning.
Prominent shrines in the state such as Sharada temple in Sringeri, Mookambika Devi temple in Udupi, Renuka Yellamma Temple in Savadatti in Belagavi, Manjunatha Swamy Temple in Dharmasthala, Kurudumale Ganapati temple and Kolaramma temple in Kolar district saw huge rush of devotees from the morning.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
