A hint of chill and the mild winter sun on Sunday together provided the ideal condition for outdoor activities.
The result — weekend hotspots in and around Calcutta were teeming with visitors.
Around 2pm, traffic policemen near Science City were having a hard time directing vehicles towards the designated parking zones outside the park.
Many were seen waiting at the ticket counters for their turn.
Priti Karmakar, 37, a private sector employee, came with her daughters, aged eight and two.
“We came in before noon and plan to return by 5pm. The early mornings and evenings are not favourable for children to spend time outdoors,” said the Rajarhat resident, who was headed to Space Odyssey, one of the top draws at Science City.
Around 3pm, the gates of the Alipore zoo opposite Taj Bengal looked like a sea of heads.
There was hardly any place to stand in front of the enclosures. Elephants, giraffes and tigers were the biggest crowd-pullers. The lawns had been taken over by families for lunch. Most of the people were seen playing
badminton.
The zoo turned into a picnic spot as families sat on the greens for lunch. However, the dustbins were overflowing with styrofoam plates, plastic glasses and wrappers.
Mohammad Imtiaz, 40, from Ripon Street, was struggling to find a clean place to sit.
“We reached the zoo at noon. The weather is ideal. I brought my 70-year-old mother along,” said Imtiaz.
The zoo recorded around 85,000 visitors on Sunday, said an official.
Around 4pm, the Maidan was also crowded with visitors. People from almost every age group were seen playing badminton, cricket and with flying discs.
Amongst them was Mohammad Asif, 22, a resident of Ripon Street, who came with his friends for a cricket match.
“We came with 12 players, we were looking for such weather for our cricket match. Getting such weather on the weekend is a pure gliss for a sportsperson,” he said.
Hamza Bin Haque, a resident of Park Street, was enjoying the weather with his family. “The Maidan is the only green zone left in the city and looks more beautiful in such weather,” he said while playing with her five-year-old daughter.
On Sunday, the minimum temperature climbed to 16.2 degrees Celsius from 14.4 on Saturday. The day was also marginally warmer than the day before. But the hint of chill was still there and a gentle breeze added to the chill
quotient.
The Nandan and Rabindra Sadan compound was buzzing around 4.30pm. Stalls selling artisan jewellery, paintings and flower vases were busy.
Enakshi, 37, a resident of New Town, was back in familiar territory after 15 long years. She left Calcutta in 2009-2010 for work and has since lived in multiple cities before returning recently.
“Usually, I prefer gatherings at a friend’s house or a cafe. But the weather prompted me to step out,” she said.
Many Calcuttans stepped out in the evening. They were headed for clubs, restaurants or music fairs.
Rabindra Sadan, Sisir Mancha and Deshapriya Park are among the venues of Sangeet Mela 2025, organised by the state government.
“The best way to enjoy such winter evenings is to attend a music festival,” Arunava Mazumdar, a resident of Garia, said at Deshapriya Park.
The chill quotient translated to brisk business for hot beverages.
“Weekends are good for these two months. Coffee and masala tea are selling fast,” said Gokul Das, who sells tea and coffee outside the Victoria Memorial.