Over 26K people throng Lucknow zoo on New year - Hindustan Times
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Over 26K people throng Lucknow zoo on New year

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By, Lucknow
Jan 02, 2018 04:02 PM IST

Festive spirit--City parks, famous hangouts, monuments, temples and churches remain abuzz with visitors

The state capital welcomed 2018 with enthusiasm. Over 26,000 people visited the Lucknow zoological garden on the day, breaking the record of the past 95 years. Other city parks, popular hangouts, Old city monuments, and various temples and churches also saw high footfall throughout the day. 

Rush in front of the Lucknow Zoo ticket counter.(HT Photo)
Rush in front of the Lucknow Zoo ticket counter.(HT Photo)

Zoo officials said it was perhaps for the first time in the history of the garden that they had witnessed such a huge rush. People started pouring in since early morning, soon after the garden was opened for visitors.

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In no time, the parking lot at the Dalibagh gate of the zoo was chock-a-block, said officials. “The inflow of people was continuous, leading to parking problems. So, to ease out congestion, visitors were asked to park their vehicles at other places,” said an employee. 

The biggest crowds were seen near the lion, tiger, zebra and giraffe enclosures, with many revellers seen engaged in taking selfies with the animals.

Due to the massive crowd, officials said, around 20 children got lost but were soon handed over to their parents by alert staff members. 

RK Singh, director, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, said, “Children especially enjoyed the toy train ride. We had made special arrangements to manage the crowd. To facilitate visitors, six additional ticket counters were set up.” 

Singh said on the last New Year day, 25,500 people had visited the zoological garden.

Merry-makers were also spotted in various other places in the city. “I don’t think there is any better place than a temple to start the New Year with,” said Subhash Mishra, a resident of Butler Palace colony, who visited the Mankameshwar temple. “It is my 20th consecutive year of starting the New Year with a visit to this temple,” he added. The Mankameshwar temple witnessed long queues of devotees all through the day. 

Churches organised a special mass on the occasion. The Cathedral Church in Hazratganj saw a big crowd of worshippers during the morning mass. 

The Old city too was seen packed with visitors. All historical structures -- Clock tower, Chhota Imambara, Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza -- attracted revellers, who were seen clicking selfies as they posed in front of the structures.

“This time, we decided to celebrate the day in Old City, amid the monuments. I have come all the way from the new city with my cousins,” said Tushar Shukla, a resident of Gomti Nagar.

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