Mumbaiites find new ways to ring in the year

Santacruz resident Sahil Chhabria has been drawing envious glances from his friends ever since he disclosed his New Year party plans.

Santacruz resident Sahil Chhabria has been drawing envious glances from his friends ever since he disclosed his New Year party plans.

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While most of his friends are likely to do the routine pub-crawl in the city, the 21-year-old will be among the 20,000-odd Cold Play fans watching the British alternative rock band perform live in Abu Dhabi.

“This is going to be my biggest New Year bash,” said the management student who has been following the rock band as a school kid. Similarly, a niche group of Mumbaiites has planned novel New Year parties.

Public relations professional Ameya Bundellu will get up in the wee hours of December 31 to catch the first rays of the sun on board a hot air balloon in Melbourne. “I have to check the weather with the balloon ride operator to set the alarm clock,” said the 34-year-old from Andheri.

South Mumbai resident Deepak Mohanty’s (name changed on request) online search for a peaceful beginning to 2012 led him to a quaint Thai temple at Sanam Luang in Bangkok.

Mohanty and his wife will be among 30,000 people participating in a marathon prayer session conducted by senior Buddhist monks.

“Nightlong street parties at Soi Bangla in Phuket, gambling night at Macau and firework-cum-laser shows in Hong Kong and Shanghai are some of events drawing people on New Year’s Eve,” said Jay Bhatia, western region chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).