City turns out at its festive best for the New Year
KOCHI: Revellers from all over the state and outside converged on Fort Kochi to ring in 2024. The famous Cochin Carnival, which is in its 38th year, ended with the burning of Pappanji, at the stroke of midnight.
Like in previous years, the New Year celebrations in Fort Kochi attracted people from far and wide as authorities introduced restrictions to manage the entry of crowds at Parade Ground and to West Kochi on Sunday.
Hundreds of visitors, especially from the northern districts of the state, including Kasaragod, Kozhikode and Malappuram, arrived a day in advance to take part in the various New Year celebrations in the city.
Fort Kochi, which is central to the festivities and the venue of the Cochin Carnival, was elaborately decked up for the occasion.
“Kochi is famous for its New Year celebration. Several youngsters from across the state are here to celebrate New Year’s Eve. I came to witness the burning of Pappanji. I am here with many of my friends. This is going to be an experience and a long-lasting memory. I just could not give up on the opportunity,” said Mohammad Mansoor, from Malappuram, who arrived in Kochi on Sunday along with his friends.
The festive vibe was evident on the streets of Fort Kochi, which was keen to attract tourists by being a generous host and throwing a memorable party. And this also raised the spirits of vendors, who had been sulking from the recent decline in visitor numbers. They did brisk business catering to the needs of visitors. Even locals could be seen happily helping out visitors by providing them with necessary directions to the main venue at Veli.
Taking into consideration last year’s stampede-like situation, which was caused by to the uncontrolled surge in crowds, numbering around 2.5 lakh, at Veli ground, the district administration introduced stringent measures. Law enforcement was on its toes, with police strictly enforcing traffic control and crowd management. The administration decided to limit the entry to Parade Ground to 40,000 reveller. Buses were allowed till Cochin College ground, where a temporary bus stop was set up. It was also decided to halt jhankar and other boat services from Vypeen to Fort Kochi by 7pm. No boat services from the mainland were also operated after that time.