The enthusiasatic New Year's Eve festivities were in sharp contrast to the muted celebrations last year when many people decided not to celebrate as a tribute to the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape victim.
Tens of thousands of party revellers ushered in the new year through beach parties in the tourist state of Goa while Mumbai's residents thronged the waterfront at midnight. Connaught Place was the epicentre of the celebrations in Delhi where revellers braved a chilly night.
Revellers in the western metropolis partied hard with restaurants and bars being kept open till 5 am after Bombay High Court struck down the city police's order for closure of eateries, bars and restaurants at 1.30 am.
Angry villagers allegedly vandalised a hotel in Mhow area of Indore in Madhya Pradesh in early hours today after the staff there refused to serve food during New Year festivities, police said.
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Seven of the hotel staff, including its owner, were injured in the fracas while the hotel manager received serious injuries, police said.
Thousands of revellers were left high and dry at a New Year's eve party in Mumbai that was to take off on the premises of a suburban hotel apparently due to mismanagement by organisers.
Revellers alleged that unprofessional conduct of organisers left them in the lurch as the bash never started as promised though some music was played initially.
Many preferred to stay at home to watch special programmes on television.
At the stroke of midnight, a group of 23 youths jumped into ice-filled waters of a pool in the hill town of Shillong where winter is at its peak.
Enraged over his wife's refusal to give him money for more booze on new year eve, a 55-year old man, under the influence of liquor, allegedly hacked her to death and surrendered to police today at a village in Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu.