All roads led to beach road on Sunday evening with New Year revellers from various parts of the city making a beeline for it to join the celebrations at star hotels.
The hotels were brightly illuminated and the guests had a host of options to choose from.
The hotels roped in celebrities from different parts of the country to enthral the gathering. The chilly wintry evening with cool breeze doubled the enthusiasm of the revellers.
Residents of apartments organised common celebrations either in the cellars or on the rooftops. They had fun playing games like housie and as the clock struck 12, crackers were burst and the residents greeted one another.
Girls and women drew colourful rangolis in front of their homes to bid adieu to 2017 and welcome New Year. Senior citizens and those who were averse to going out in the cold, remain glued to the TV screens as the satellite channels dished out variety entertainment programmes, musical nights and games to usher in New Year. The sound of bursting of crackers was heard at some places in the city right from evening.
The Visakhapatnam branch of the All-India Anglo-Indian Association celebrated New Year eve in traditional style with fun, dancing and a sumptuous dinner at the Railway Institute here.
With a live orchestra in attendance, and in a hall packed with members and guests, both young and old, many competitions were held and prizes were awarded to ‘The Best Dressed Couple’ and ‘The Best Jiving Couple’ besides other prizes.