An air of festive cheer and party mood swept Hyderabad as citizens welcomed the New Year with house parties, pub crawl, roaring through the city; while some others attended midnight mass at different churches lit up for the occasion.
At Kumar’s residence in Uppal, the excitement of New Year preparations filled the air. While the parents were busy lighting up their porch and stenciling large rangoli designs, setting the stage for a vibrant celebration, their 25-year-old son, Sameer, was getting ready to head out for a friend’s party in Hitec City. This scene played out in many households across the city on Tuesday evening.
The celebrations ranged from gatherings at farmhouses and groups strategically positioned at scenic viewpoints on the city’s outskirts to witness the midnight fireworks. As the clock inched towards 12, bakeries across the city, adorned with vibrant lights mixed with the beats of loud party music became hotspots for families, friends, and partygoers alike as they gathered to indulge in sweet treats to begin the new year.
Amid intensified surveillance by over 22,000 police officials from the tri-commisionerates, decked up in colourful lights, the city welcomed the New Year 2025. Hundreds of checkposts were set up at strategic points to monitor drunk driving, narcotics use, noise violations, traffic control, women safety and overall crime prevention.
“We have caught four persons for drunk driving,” said a police officer at Aramghar, where 50 personnel manned the key junction of the city.
Parties and celebrations across the city began as early as 8 p.m. with restaurants, bars and pubs teeming with young revellers, and the festivities continued well past midnight. Over 130 new year parties and events on a popular ticket booking platform were booked by Tuesday evening. The ones with last-minute ‘impromptu plan’ found it nearly impossible to secure a table, as reservations had been made weeks in advance. This led many to turn to street food vendors and drive-ins, where they savoured local delicacies under the open sky.
For many young people, house parties were the preferred choice. “To avoid traffic snarls, all my friends gathered for a hearty dinner at our favourite biryani place as early as 7 p.m. and then reached a friend’s place well before midnight. This allowed us to enjoy the best of both the worlds — catch a glimpse of the city as well as spend quality time with the loved one,” said Priya Aanand, a software employee from Kondapur.
K. Srinivas, who owns five service apartments in the western part of Hyderabad, shared that bookings for New Year’s Eve were made as early as November-end. “The clients are usually known ones or the ones vouched by the regular ones. I tell them the rules and never had a problem hosting them… so far,” he chuckled.
As the clock struck midnight, families gathered at popular spots like Tank Bund and PVNR Marg, cheering and celebrating the arrival of the New Year together. People watched in awe as colourful fireworks lit up the dark winter sky of Hyderabad.
Published – January 01, 2025 05:07 am IST
