Intermittent rain coupled with a sudden drop in day temperature dampened New Year spirits in the capital.

Those who still wanted to make the most of the first day of 2020, flocked to picnic spots on the outskirts of Ranchi.

Many others headed to Sidhu-Kanhu Park near Kanke Road within the city.

Ranchi recorded a day temperature of 15.2°C on Wednesday, eight notches below normal, and rainfall of around 3mm.

“We just entered Sidhu-Kanhu Park when it started raining,” Raj Shrivastava of Morabadi said, adding that they had brought food from home, but were not sure if they could have the lunch there.

There were many others like him who went to Rock Garden on the banks of Kanke Dam. “It’s not crowded today and we can hopefully take shelter at one of the structures built here if the rains continue. Otherwise, we will have to pack up half way through our picnic,” Kanke Road resident Seema Das, who went there with her family, said.

Though boats were available at Kanke Dam, there were no takers around noon.

Fun Castle near Ratu, around 20km from the city, was no different. Kids complained that the drizzle prevented them from enjoying the rides and games.

Rukka Dam, about 15km from the city, which is a popular haunt for picnickers around this time of the year, wore a deserted look.

“We arrange a family picnic every New Year in nearby places that is attended by around 60 members of our extended family,” said Ashok Kumar Gheda, a resident of Ratu Road, who had hired a bus to go to Rukka Dam.

He said the rain led to a significant drop in the temperature and they had to light a bonfire to keep themselves warm.

“We are still enjoying our picnic as such outings don’t happen always,” said Parul, a young member of the family, who studies in Class VII in a local school.

Ratu Road resident Sanjay Parashar, who also went to Rukka Dam as part of a group, said cold and rain have lent a special charm to the place.

Those who came in small groups were caught off-guard. Some were found taking shelter under umbrellas and wondering how they would continue with their picnic.

At Birsa Munda Zoo in Ormanjhi, the footfall was much less compared to other years. Till 4.10pm, 5,768 people, including 542 children, bought entry tickets from the counter on Wednesday.

On the number of visitors on January 1 last year, the man at the ticket counter said: “It must have been over 10,000.”