The city spent the Sunday outdoors, making the most of a clear sky and a hint of chill.
From the Maidan and Alipore Zoo to Eco Park and party corridor Park Street, it was a sea of people at all the usual fun spots. But many were maskless.
Around 12.30pm, it was hard to distinguish the entrance of the Alipore Zoological Gardens from the gates of a packed Eden Gardens.
The crowd on the pavement stretched at least a kilometre. Cars moved at a snail’s pace. When stuck, the snarl’s tail reached almost the Police Training School intersection.
Spotting people without a mask was far from difficult. Most of the maskless visitors carried face shields but chose not to wear them properly.
The zoo crowd count was 35,000 on Sunday. “The footfall is nearing the pre-pandemic stage,” said an official.
While guards at the gates and people selling tickets tried to enforce the mask mandate, the size of the crowd made it a near-impossible job.
The area around the Victoria Memorial and St Paul’s Cathedral had people streaming in all day.
The crowd at Victoria peaked around noon with many walking in post-lunch and staying on till closing time at 5pm.
Visitors outside the Victoria Memorial Bishwarup Dutta
The Maidan wore a festive look with people playing cricket and football, egged on by crowds of onlookers. Some families sat around in circles, bed sheets spread out on the grass, eating packed lunch.
The weather was ideal for stepping out. The sky was clear and the sun was bright. The dry winds, though mild, made their presence felt.
“The stage is set for the Celsius to slide. Over the next couple of days, the impact of the cold and dry winds from north India will be felt in Kolkata. The night temperature is set to touch the 15-degree range by this week,” said G.K. Das, director, IMD, Kolkata.
There is no system over the Bay of Bengal and the moisture levels in the atmosphere is on the lower side
An imminent high-pressure area, in the making over central India, will act as a catalyst for the arrival of the northwesterly winds, he said.
With Christmas knocking on the doors, the crowd at public places is set to go up. But so is the risk of an increase in the number of maskless revellers, if Sunday was anything to go by.
A long queue for tickets at Nicco Park Bishwarup Dutta
At the 483-acre Eco Park in New Town, the crowd peaked around 4pm. So did the number of maskless people.
Long queues were spotted at every ticket counter and guards were seen asking people to wear masks. Once inside, people removed the masks and put them in their pockets or purses.
As the evening progressed, the stretch of Major Arterial Road leading to the park had quite a bit of traffic, reminiscent of the days when the road would have bumper-to-bumper vehicles in the evening, prompting police to deploy additional force in front of the park.
On Sunday, more than 18,000 people had visited the park, an official said.