Thiruvananthapuram city rings in New Year on a cheerful note
The Hindu
People throng public places to make the most of the festivities that have carried on from Christmas
New Year revellers in the city turned out in droves to welcome 2023 without any restrictions on public gatherings or night curfews owing to COVID-19.
Though authorities are on the alert following reports of COVID-19 surge in some countries, people thronged public places on New Year’s eve to make the most of the festivities that have carried on from Christmas.
After the truncated celebrations of the past two years, families and friends hung out till late to bid goodbye to 2022 and ring in the new year. Roads remained crowded as shops stayed open to welcome shoppers and eateries saw good footfall.
In the city, the crowds that began flocking to Kanakakkunnu for a flower show ahead of Christmas did not let up on the New Year’s eve too. Blooms, decorative lights, cultural events, installations, and a food court drew thousands.
Kovalam, the hub of revelries that usually teems with visitors, especially foreigners, witnessed sizeable crowds, mostly domestic tourists and city residents after the pandemic-induced lull. People began flocking to its beaches and restaurants from noon itself.
As night fell, hotels and restaurants kicked off the New Year festivities with DJ parties, entertainment programmes and lavish dinners. The beaches too were teeming with people under the watchful eyes of the police who intensified surveillance to prevent any untoward incidents. A control room, CCTV cameras, police in uniform and mufti were all deployed to keep an eye on the celebrations, prevent drunken revelry and unlawful activity such as use of drugs.
Clubs, hotels and residents’ associations had lined up an array of programmes and dinners to keep guests entertained till the New Year countdown. Prayers were held in various churches, all brightly lit to welcome the new year on a note of peace and joy.
![](/newspic/picid-1269750-20240726175356.jpg)
The Hindu Future India Club (FIC), in association with VIT-AP, Amaravati, will organise a seminar on ‘Career Opportunities in Law, Management and Sciences’ on July 31. The event is being organised in collaboration with GEMS Public School on the campus of the institution near Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur district.
![](/newspic/picid-1269750-20240726173856.jpg)
The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting organised a photo exhibition at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhawan in Guntur on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 (Friday), commemorating the valour, supreme sacrifice and victory of the soldiers in the Kargil War in 1999. The exhibition is being organised for three days.