Pondicherry rings in New Year with style

Puducherry: Puducherry, one of the popular leisure and tourist destinations in the country, welcomed 2017with spectacular events.

Demonetisation did not have an impact on New Year revelry where thousands of tourists from different parts of the country and foreigners came to the coastal town to dance, eat and ring in the new year in style.

Thousands of people joined the celebrations till 1 am at the promenade along the beach, Puducherry’s most popular spot. Merry makers burst crackers welcoming the new year and amid loud cheers of Happy New Year youngsters who thronged the beach , danced and and exchanged pleasantries.

Though the  police had made elaborate arrangements to ensure safety during the celebrations, they had a tough time in controlling the revelers on Beach Road and other arterial roads in the town.

Party animals chose to celebrate the new year night in the luxury hotels, where wide variety of programs were arranged including DJ, music and dance programs.

Though the traffic police had turned the Boulevard area into a pedestrian-only zone as early in the evening, rash driving created some trouble for them.

“The celebrations here were undoubtedly an unforgettable one. Puducherry really gave a warm welcome to the guests who came to celebrate the new year,” said Vandana, a software engineer from Bangalore, who reached Puducherry on New Year’s eve.

Midnight mass was conducted in all the churches in the town. Thousands of devotees waited in long queues for more than five hours for a darshan since the morning at Manakula Vinayakar temple here, which was opened at 4 am for special poojas.