As hundreds of thousands descended upon the promenade on the New Year’s eve, music set the mood for the celebrations to welcome 2018.
More than 100 volunteers including NCC cadets and Children Traffic Corps joined the Traffic police to direct the vehicles to the designated parking spaces. Barricades sealed the White Town from all sides allowing only pedestrians to reach the promenade.
In a first, the Puducherry police deployed drones overhead the Promenade Beach as a crowd monitoring measure.
For the convenience of the public, Pondicherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) operated free bus services from the parking spaces to the beach road.
While the turnout for the events organised by hotels dropped due to entertainment tax, it spilled over to the promenade resulting in unprecedented footfalls this season.
The Department of Tourism coordinated with the Department of Art and Culture to organise events in different locations along the promenade allowing people to choose a comfortable spot along the beach road.
Director of Art and Culture S.Ganessin dropped by after sunset to take stock of the situation. Talking to The Hindu , he explained that at least nine cultural troupes have been invited to perform at three locations along the beach road.
“Five cultural teams including folk artistes and dancers from Odisha performed at the Gandhi Thidal. While two other teams performed near the Chief Secretariat office, two more took the stage at the Ambedkar Manimandapam,” he said.
Apart from these arrangements, music systems were placed at the Le Café prompting people to dance till midnight.
There were not just domestic or foreign tourists who danced to the tunes of Tamil film and folk songs, families from different parts of Puducherry gathered on the beach to take part in the celebrations.
Per-Karsten Nordhaug, an IT Professional from Norway, had come down to Puducherry with his friends to celebrate Christmas and New Year. Spending time with his friends at the New Year’s Eve bash with Sleepwalkers hosted by Storytellers’ Bar in Promenade, Mr.Nordhaug said that he had always celebrated his Christmas and New Year at his home in Norway.
“This is the first time I am coming to India and first time to celebrate New Year outside my native land. It has been such a wonderful experience seeing so many things and meeting lovely people. The atmosphere here is relaxed and I am not missing home,” he said.
He added that he would be travelling to Mahabalipuram in the coming week before he leaves to Norway.
The Bharathi Park, which would close for public after 8 p.m., and Raj Nivas opened their gates for the public till late into the night.
As people strolled down towards Raj Nivas, Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi stood in the balcony wishing everyone a happy New Year over the mike.
Students on tour
Among the people who visited Raj Nivas on New Year’s Eve were 51 students from the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Integral Education from Odisha.
“We bring Class IX students from the school to Puducherry every year. We were lucky to witness New Year celebrations in the Raj Nivas for the first time,” said Padmaja Nandini Sahu, a teacher of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Integral Education.
Before the midnight mass began, long rows of serial lights decorated the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Church and when the clock struck 12, crackers were burst across the coastal town marking the dawn of the New Year.
