LBDs and bowties, champagne and capers – Let’s not kid ourselves, the beginning of New Years generally see them aplenty. While a lot of coercion goes into making plans, a number of city folk are gearing up to ring in 2017 quite differently. Welcoming the new sun whilst swimming on the Auroville beach, treks, making art, or solo rides, there are apparently better ways to say hello to the New Year than finding remedies for a hangover! Take a cue.
Getting out from the clutches of city life seems to be top priority for a lot of Bengalureans. “We often spend our time slacklining at Cubbon Park every Sunday with pot lucks and music. So, when a friend was organising a New Year slackline festival in Lonavala, we jumped at the opportunity,” says city girl Sapna Jayaraman, who has earlier scuba-dived or camped for New Years.
Road trips seem to be another popular way to celebrate. Durgesh Agrahari, the head of projects at SayTrees, a community for tree lovers in the city, says, “I’ve always been passionate about bikes and riding and go on a trip every month. This year, we are off on a 2,000 km journey on the East Coast Road. We’ll also be talking with the locals and understanding the impact of climate change.”
Others are insistent in putting the ‘new’ in the New Year. “My friends and I always try to do something new every year – We once went to Navadarshanam, a community living project near Bengaluru where it was all about having quiet conversations. We even volunteered on the farm and involved ourselves in composting. The year before that, we watched the sunrise at Auroville and got to swim in the ocean! A ride through the forests of the Jim Corbett Park was the latest,” says 32-year-old Mayank Rungta. This year, the co-founder of Khula Manch, a platform that discusses critical issues, is headed to the Jeevan Vidya workshop for a holistic experience.
Taking the time to be thankful and to self-reflect is another good place to start. “This time, I’m going to be in the Western Ghats reviving folk arts and crafts like quilting and weaving with river grass. I hope to learn how beautifully the tribes live and give back to nature whilst meeting the younger ones and may be painting a community wall with them,” says city artist Poornima Sukumar whose New Years have earlier been filled with playing indoor games, flying kites and sky lanterns at Varkala and trekking to Kumara Parvatha.
