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Punekars planning for trekking, camping, volunteering this New Year’s eve
From spending the day at animal shelters to watching the sunrise from atop the hill, Punekars share their plans with HT
Many residents are making elaborate plans to ring in the New Year. While some like to welcome the year amidst a cheering crowd, there are others who go the unconventional way. From trekking, camping, volunteering and celebrating the New Year prior to the actual date, Punekars tell us how they plan to celebrate the last day of the year.
Pre- New Year unwind
With the New Year falling on a Tuesday, many Punekars are using the weekend to bid adieu to 2019. Families are taking a short trip on the weekend. Alibaug and Dapodi are the popular places.
For Ravindra Pendse, an entrepreneur, it is going to be a working New Year, as it falls on weekday. “Since December 31 falls on a Tuesday, most of my friends and I will be working. Hence, we have planned a trip to Alibaug with our families on the weekend prior to the New Year’s eve. This way we will get to spend more time with our families. We will bring in the New Year with a quiet dinner at home on December 31,” he said.
Taking a break among nature
Kunal Shetty, an entrepreneur, has planned to head out to the hills for a night trek on the last day of the year.
“I want to reach the top of the hill in Lonavla and wait for the New Year’s sun, bringing in the beauty of nature and enjoy it. I have been planning the trip for a month with my friends,” he said.
Volunteering with human library
A library of living, breathing books that tell you their story is perhaps every bibliophile’s dream. And that is precisely what Hrishikesh Puranik, a photographer, will be doing on New Year’s eve. Puranik plans to volunteer by being a part of a human library and share his experiences.
A human library aims to address people’s prejudices by helping them to talk to those they would not normally meet.
“When a person approached me with the concept of human library, I liked it and especially since they were keen on hearing stories from a photographer and entrepreneur, I signed up. It will be definitely be a different kind of New Year’s eve for me besides my work,” said Puranik.
Pawsome New Year
Saba Poonawalla, a make-up artist, said that she plans to have dinner at home and spend the evening at the animal shelter during the New Year’s eve. “For most people, the New Year’s Eve is all about partying and dancing the night away. But I prefer doing something different, so as a good luck start for the New Year, my dinner plan is with my best friend of 19 years. No dressing up, no flaunting the handbag or earrings or shoes. It’s a simple old fashioned pyjama night. We will order food and have dinner with our dogs. We also plan to head out to a pet-friendly cafe in Kalyaninagar and bring in the New Year with hot chocolate and our dogs. We also plan to feed stray dogs. The New Year is to celebrate a new beginning. What better way to do this, than help those who can’t speak or enjoy the luxuries of life that we do.”
Music under the stars
Some people will head out of the city to get away from traffic jams and loud noise. Camping under the stars is on the list of many Punekars.
On New Year’s eve, Shashank Kobal, who is a part of Jodhaam-community driven musicians, will be a part of the activity called “Drum-Strum-Hum” where they give instruments to people, make them drum, sing, dance and together create positive vibes. The activity will take place at CampJam, Aranyagiri Resort 70km from Pune, near Shirur
“Several people like us prefer to be away from the hustle bustle of the daily life and on the last day of the year, some prefer to enjoy the beauty of nature along with their friends and families and enjoy good old music which helps improve a person’s well-being. It also helps to channelise a person because we’re away from the chaos in the city and being amidst nature, there is more freedom to express and music helps people express the inexpressible. The natural surroundings help us to reboot and live in the present moment.”
A healthy start
A few Punekars prefer to have a healthy start to the New Year by conducting or being a part of Yoga sessions. Shardul Kulkarni, who is a part of a Pune-based group called Visionary Fighters, will perform Surya Namaskar on Alandi ghat on the morning of the New Year.
“We believe that a new day begins with a sunrise, and the first day of the New Year is very precious, as we all are ready with new resolutions, plans. Doing early morning exercise elevates our mood, boosts our confidence and most importantly it gives us a feeling of completion of a task eventually motivating us to do more tasks,” said Kulkarni.
