New Year: Himachal, U'khand Buzz With Visitors, Delhi's Party Hubs See Rush; Lathi-charge in Bengaluru as Crowd Gets Out of Control

While many preferred to bring in the New Year by staying at home amid a Covid scare, tourist places and party hubs across many cities were seen swamped with crowds as people stepped out to bid adieu to 2022 and welcome 2023 in full fervor.

From tourist places like Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie and Himachal Pradesh’s Manali to hubs like Koramangala, MG Road, Brigade Road in Karnataka’s Bengaluru and Delhi’s Connaught Place, people were seen in huge numbers on New Year’s eve.

Here’s how people brought in the new year across cities

Bengaluru

Streets of Karnataka’s Bengaluru were flooded with people on New Year’s eve with cafes and eateries bustling visitors after two years of restrictions that were necessitated by the Covid pandemic. People, however, were seen flouting the mask mandate that the authorities had brought back keeping in mind the rise in Covid cases globally.

Thousands of people thronged hubs like MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street and the surrounding areas to ring in the New Year, but the crowd was reportedly still slightly smaller than pre-Covid times, a Deccan Herald report said, adding that an unprecedented footfall was seen at Koramangala.

Police personnel also resorted to lathi charge to disperse a crowd at an area in Bengaluru after it went out of control.

Delhi

Party hubs of Delhi were also buzzing on December 31 as people stepped out to ring in the New Year. Traffic congestion was also witnessed in parts of central Delhi, including Connaught Place and India Gate, on New Year’s eve.

The Delhi Police had deployed over 18,000 personnel from district and traffic units across the national capital to keep a strict vigil on any kind of violation and ensure security during New Year celebrations, officials had said.

A total of 125 spots in the city were identified to check drunk driving. Kartavya Path resembled a picnic spot as hundreds thronged the national capital landmark with family and friends to celebrate New Year’s eve after a two-year Covid-induced gap.

Visitors, including some children who arrived as part of a school trip, rushed to the venue from distant parts of the capital city to spend some time with their friends and families.

Traffic movement remained restricted at Connaught Place from 8 pm on Saturday.

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh

Tourist hubs of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh such as Mussoorie, Nainital, Manali and Shimla saw massive crowds on streets as people swamped these popular places after two years of lull due to Covid-19.

The Mall Road in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali and Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie were packed with tourists to welcome New Year 2023.

Snowfall in Manali, craze to see Atal Tunnel and no entry to tourist vehicles without bookings in Shimla city increased the tourist footfall in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district for New Year.

Tourists flocked to Atal Tunnel (Rohtang), increasing the footfall in the twin districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu besides snowfall in Manali being a major attraction, president of Manali Hoteliers’ Association Mukesh Thakur said on Saturday, adding the occupancy is about 90 per cent.

Gondola at Solang, Igloo stays in Hamta, winter sports activities in and around Manali, skiing and snowboarding courses offered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports Manali too are the major tourist attractions, he said.

Mumbai and Goa

Goa, which is a major tourist destination and sees a heavy footfall every year on occasions like New Year’s eve, witnessed the same this year too with crowds flocking beaches, pubs and cafes to bring in 2023.

Mumbaikars also, meanwhile, on Saturday stepped out of homes in large numbers to celebrate New Year’s Eve with joy and abandon after a gap of two years. Thousands of people gathered at the Gateway of India, Marine Drive and the Girgaum Chowpatty beach in South Mumbai.

New Year celebrations were muted in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-related restrictions. In the suburbs, many people flocked to the beaches of Bandra, Madh Island and Marve.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Saturday specially illuminated important structures and buildings in the city such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Gateway of India. Hotels, bars and restaurants were full while many revellers also patronized street food sellers.

More than 11,000 police personnel were deployed on the streets for security, a senior official said.

Devotees Offer Prayers at Temples on First Day of New Year

Devotees were seen in large numbers at temples across states to start their new year on an auspicious note.

Take a look at some visuals:

People were seen in queues at temples to offer prayers on the first day of the new year.

(With PTI inputs)