The last Sunday of the year was chilly, bright and sunny, drawing thousands of Calcuttans and visitors outdoors to soak in the festive mood at some of the city’s favourite spots.

The Alipore zoo recorded almost double the footfall on Sunday compared to the previous day. The zoo sold 71,139 tickets on Sunday, up from about 44,000 on Saturday. Officials said the pleasant winter weather and the year-end holiday mood combined to push visitor numbers up.

Alipore zoo

The Victoria Memorial also saw a surge: 37,016 visitors on Sunday, nearly 7,000 more than Saturday. By 1pm, the queue outside stretched close to 500 metres. To manage the rush, authorities opened an additional ticket counter near the North Gate.

At Eco Park in New Town, officials estimated nearly 50,000 visitors on Sunday. By mid-afternoon, the parking area was full, boat rides had long queues and bicycles emerged as one of the biggest attractions.

“The visitor flow starts increasing in November and continues till the end of January,” said Anurag Kumar, secretary and curator of Victoria Memorial Hall. “Most visitors during this period are domestic tourists from Bengal and neighbouring states such as Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar.”

For many city residents, the last Sunday of the year offered a break from routine. A group of friends, all techies, gathered on the lawns of Victoria. “On most Sundays, we are either working from home or watching a film,” said Jeet Bose, 27. “But today, being the last Sunday of the year, we wanted to do something different. The weather was favourable too, and it turned into a reunion with friends.”

Weather played a key role in encouraging outdoor outings. The minimum temperature on Sunday, recorded early in the morning, was 14° Celsius — marginally above normal. On Saturday, the minimum temperature had dipped to 12.8° Celsius, about one degree below normal.

This year-end, however, has been significantly colder than last year. On December 27, 2024, the minimum temperature was 19.2° Celsius, while on December 28 it stood at 15.8°. During the last three days of 2024, minimum temperatures ranged between 16.6° and 17.3°.

The Met office has forecast that over the next three days, minimum temperatures are likely to hover between 13° and 14° Celsius. “Temperatures are expected to rise slightly on the first day of the New Year and may be between 14° and 15° Celsius,” a Met official said.

Visitors beat the cold out by visiting favourite weekend spots in the city

December is one of the busiest months for outdoor attractions in the city. The weather is pleasant, and schools remain closed during the final week of the year, making it easier for families to stepout.

At the zoo, families with young children formed a large part of the crowd. Five-year-old Atriey Kuila clutched her mother’s hand as they walked toward the tiger enclosure. “They are growing up in a concrete jungle surrounded by buildings,” her mother said. “Bringing them to the zoo creates an opportunity for her to be closer to nature.”

Despite children’s growing dependence on screens, the experience of seeing animals in person is still a thrill and continues to draw crowds, said Tripti Sah, director of the Zoological Garden, Alipore.

“Watching animals on a screen cannot match the excitement of seeing them in front of you,” Sah said. “Children are thrilled when they see how huge an elephant really is.”

Eco Park, meanwhile, attracted visitors from across age groups. Dublin resident Bitan Chatterjee visited the park with his one-year-old son, wife and elderly parents. “I have been abroad for many years, and initially I was sceptical about the crowd,” he said. “But once we reached here, the festive spirit took over.”

Elsewhere in the city, Park Street — Calcutta’s most loved Christmas and year-end destination — remained packed through the day and evening. Restaurants reported steady business from noon onwards.

“On Saturday, the last guest left at 1.30am,” said Pratap Daryanani, partner at Oasis. “On Sunday, by 12.30pm, we were nearly full. The evening crowd started as early as 6pm because the lights are switched on at 5pm, and many people prefer to arrive early, soak in the decorations, dine and leave before the rush builds up.”