Revellers at a New Year party in a city hotel and (below) a dancer at the bash. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Dec. 31: The residents of the capital had preserved their best for the last. Well, for the last day of the year, when they welcomed the next year in style.

As the hands of the clock raced towards the midnight moment when the decade turned, the celebrations reached a crescendo.

While some revellers chose to shake a leg to Munni badnaam or Sheila ki Jawani, others celebrated the night at home, in the company of friends and family.

The epicentre of the celebration was Maurya Hotel, where a select crowd were witness to a performance of belly and pole dance by Russian artistes.

“I have seen such performance in Delhi and Mumbai. But I did not expect to see this in Patna,” said a member of the audience. The audience took to the floor with the artistes to celebrate.

At Bankipore Club, members could indulge in the pleasures of a Chinese menu. At Golf Club, guests danced around a blazing bonfire, as music from a disc jockey’s portal intoxicated the air.

“Disc jockeys have come down from Mumbai and Calcutta. Their demand seems to have increased this year,” said Nikesh Kumar, a member of a club.

There were strict security measures in place to prevent any untoward incident during the celebrations. Rigorous checks were conducted by district police personnel throughout the day and traffic violators were brought to book. But despite the tight vigil, a group of youngsters did manage to zoom down the Boring Road on bikes.

For those who did not go out, it was party time at home. But be it with family and friends, the decibels kept getting higher as the brand new decade approached.

“We organised a party on the rooftop of our building for our friends. But soon all the families in the building joined us,” said Asha Devi, a resident of a highrise on Boring Road. The more the merrier, she added.

Some stayed back at home to watch TV and welcome the new decade. AN Path resident Randhir Kumar Singh said: “The celebrations outside are too loud and expensive. I like it quiet, so I stayed at home.”

Celebrations peaked on the dot of midnight. Fireworks whizzed across the sky. The lights dimmed and the music soared. A queue of cars on a thoroughfare started honking to make a loud statement of their happiness. “It’s just for fun,” said Om Kumar, one of the motorists.

Happy New Year, all!