The chill and sunshine made people step out in thousands on Sunday, thronging to the usual hotspots in and around the city.
With the Celsius sliding to 12.9 degrees, it was the coldest Sunday of the season so far. The sun came out after a thick layer of smog blanketed the city early in the morning.
The Victoria Memorial, Alipore zoo, Eco Park and the Maidan wore a festive look and people selling peanuts, ice-cream and chats did brisk business.
The cops posted outside the Alipore zoo had to use ropes to control the huge crowds throughout the day. A zoo official said over 55,000 tickets were sold on Sunday.
Anirban Chowdhury, a Garia resident, had come to the zoo with his wife and five-year-old daughter.
“My daughter had been demanding a day out for a long time. We did not dare to visit the zoo on December 31 and January 1, fearing the crowd. Even today it is crowded but the situation is manageable,” said Chowdhury.
Children enjoyed rides on ponies and families on phaetons on the Maidan greens. A large number of youngsters with cameras were taking pictures or recording videos.
There were couples trailed by photographers clicking pre-wedding pictures.
Families were spotted enjoying a picnic lunch or playing badminton.
Nisar Alam, a Kidderpore resident, came with his entire family for a picnic.
“Winter is the best time in Kolkata. We do one such family outing every year,” Alam said.
Mohammed Firoz, who owns four phaetons, said all his carriages had done multiple trips around the Victoria Memorial. Each ride costs around Rs 600.
“Business has picked up. We are praying that the weather stays like this,” Firoz said.
His prayers are unlikely to be answered, according to the Met forecast.
“The chill and dry weather is likely to persist till Tuesday. After that, an overcast and rainy spell is expected in Kolkata and the rest of south Bengal under the influence of a Western Disturbance,” said a Met official.
The moisture content in the atmosphere is likely to go up and stall the flow of the northwesterly winds, the main agent of chill in south Bengal. Some rain is expected in Kolkata on Wednesday and Thursday.
Throughout Sunday, large groups of families and friends made a beeline for the 480-acre Eco Park in New Town.
Vehicles moved slowly on the Major Arterial Road (MAR), which leads to the park.
The cops had a trying time to keep vehicles moving on both flanks — one for Salt Lake-bound vehicles and the other for vehicles headed for the airport — of the MAR.
Inside, groups of people were seen enjoying picnic lunches and playing badminton or other games. Fast food stalls inside the park did brisk business.
Rabin Paul, who operates a stall that offers Indian and Chinese fare, said Sunday was the liveliest after New Year’s Day in terms of sales.
There were huge queues outside all the ticket counters and many were seen carrying badminton rackets as they made their way inside the park.
A senior official of Hidco, the agency that manages the park, said more than 37,268 visitors had come to the park on Sunday.
Nicco Park, too, was crowded throughout the day.
A jungle-themed event in which the park mascot Sheroo performs, along with friends, was a top draw.
Several rides such as the roller-coaster, Striking Cars, Sky Launcher and the revamped Toy Train had a steady stream of visitors.
Rajesh Raisinghani, managing director and CEO of the park, said the numbers were encouraging. “We have organised several interactive shows. Overall, the response has been encouraging this winter,” said Raisinghani.
Around 2pm, a snaking queue was spotted at the gate of the Victoria Memorial. Many more were on their way to the lawns of the marble monument.
Amitabha Singha, who lives near the airport, came with his wife and five-year-old daughter. They were clicking selfies in front of the memorial. “We visited the zoo first and then came here,” said Singha.