Bonfire at Ridge to usher in New Year

SHIMLA, Dec 30: While the tourists booked in the luxurious Shimla hotels will wine, dine and dance in the tastefully decorated indoor hal...

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SHIMLA, Dec 30: While the tourists booked in the luxurious Shimla hotels will wine, dine and dance in the tastefully decorated indoor halls till midnight, the revellers outside will have police-band folk singers, dancers and bonfire at the historic Ridge to hearald the new year.

And it won’t be a surprise if the merry-makers at the Ridge and Mall road happen to see the state Governor V.S. Rama Devi and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal join in the revelry, if only for a brief while. But the real thrill will only be added by the snowfall which continues to elude the tourists. The city elders, who have seen the winter weather play truant occasionally do not see any chance of the snow keeping its date with revellers this year.

However, with the crowds pouring in,the civil and police administration are not taking any chances and have made eloborate arrangements, both for entertainment and the maintenance of law and order. “We have an additional strength of 300 policemen on duty till late midnight and the town area has been bifurcated into seperate zones” says SSP Shimla A.N. Sharma.

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Deputy Commissioner Shimla Ram Subhag Singh said that though the merry-makers were welcome to enjoy the evening, rowdyism, hoolinganism and boozing in the open would not be allowed. The administration expects nearly 20,000 tourists to throng the city tomorrow. A major part of the crowd constitutes youngsters, mostly from Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab who normally return after the mid-night celebrations. Therefore, arrangements have been made to regulate the parkings and check drunken driving to avoid road accidents.

Where entertainment is concerned, Kufri Resorts, the Cecil, Oberoi Clerks, Comberemere, Woodrina and Ashiana Regency are some of the prominent hotels organising special programmes for the night.Though the occupancy in the hotels has come down by atleast 15 percent as compared to the last season, they have taken great pains to arrange alluring programmes to entice the tourtists by inviting musical groups, pop singers and orchestra parties from Delhi and Chandigarh. Fabulous prizes, sometimes even including a free stay in the hotel add to the attractions.

Folk singers and cultural troupes from upper Shimla and Mandi are expected to provide befitting entertainment to the revellers.Four drum-players and a special band party arranged by HP Tourism Department will also be in action. The Red Cross Carnival at the ladies park is another added attraction in the town.