As the clock struck midnight, cities across India ushered in the joy of the new year 2025. The thrill and the spectacular spectacle began all over the nation while people said goodbye to 2024. Cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and others turned into centres of attraction; sparkling streets, echoing music and joyful giggles around all.
Here is how major cities in India started their New Year celebrations:
Celebrations in Bengaluru
The "Silicon Valley of India" started its celebrations in grand style as the clock ticked closer to midnight. From every direction, the crowds have poured into the vibrant streets of Bengaluru, especially those close to MG Road and Koramangala, to celebrate midnight. All police deployment is strengthened as a precaution and installed with over 7,500 CCTV cameras across the city. Special orders to enhance police deployment and pickets for any untoward accident/event were issued by G. Parameshwara, Home Minister in Karnataka. Crackers crackled, and the night sky lit up fireworks as the city plunged into celebration.
Delhi-NCR
At midnight on New Year's Eve, Delhi and its neighbouring cities of Gurugram and Noida came alive with celebrations heralding the arrival of 2025. These cities had already ramped up police security in anticipation. The streets were aglow with the merriment of sounds and sights including fireworks. Much preparation was made by the Delhi Police, with officers ground reporting and CCTV surveillance ensured for a peaceful night.
All the roads leading to Connaught Place, including KG Marg, Parliament Street Barakhamba Road and Janpath, are closed for traffic and the police are directing commuters to take alternative routes. As a result, heavy traffic was witnessed in the central Delhi area were also felicitated and certificates were given to them.
Besides central Delhi, the vehicles are being checked intensively at key locations of the city, including south Delhi's Hauz Khas and Saket, east Delhi's Vikas Marg, west Delhi's Rajouri Garden, to prevent any untoward incident, a senior police officer said.
Mumbai welcomes New Year with sparkling sky
Mumbai welcomed its New Year with brightly lit streets along with many shouting voices. The City of Dreams had been awake the whole night. The crowds flocked to popular haunts such as Marine Drive, Colaba, and Juhu Beach, to celebrate with friends and family. People exchanged warm wishes, danced to live music, and enjoyed the festive atmosphere, as the city’s iconic skyline was illuminated by a beautiful array of fireworks. Mumbai Police had arranged extra security and crowd control measures to ensure a smooth celebration across the city, which welcomed the new year with its characteristic energy and vibrancy.
Vrindavan
The year 2025 was welcomed in the temples of the city with a devotion not even heard in Prem Mandir, where priests chanted holy mantras and held thousands of visitors in their premises to relive the auspicious and delightful celebrations for ushering in the new year. The Divine celebration-drenched evening with its warm festival lights set the ideal ambience for the peaceful, spiritual initiation of the year. It was repeated within other certain areas of Mathura and Vrindavan, where temples, ashrams, and other places of worship called on thousands to come together and celebrate but in true spirit of devotion to revelry.
Kolkata's bustling streets cheerfully bid adieu to 2024
In Kolkata also, the enthusiasm to welcome the New Year was high. Cheering faces were seen all across West Bengal's capital. Given the wider celebration anticipation, the traffic police issued advisories to avoid some important locations where the crowd was highly expected.
Park Street, Shakespeare Sarani, Alipore Zoo, Paresh Nath Temple, Indian Museum, Victoria Memorial, Birla Planetarium, Kali Temple at Kalighat, and Thanthania Kalibari were some of the places where a vibrant crowd was seen cheerfully welcoming the New Year. The Kolkata Traffic Police reportedly deployed around 4,500 personnel on the roads to ensure smooth traffic flow on the last day of 2024.
Kullu-Manali
Various destinations in Himachal Pradesh including Kullu and Manali saw massive crowds of tourists who visited all the way from across India to celebrate the New Year. Visuals from Kullu show lightened streets, cheerful faces, lit sky and loud music as they welcome 2025 with full enthusiasm.
