Kolkata geared up to usher in New Year in style

Gamble out the year's last night in Las Vegas casinos, or spend a Arabian Night getting wet and wild - big hotels and signature clubs are enticing well-heeled Kolkatans to jet set into the New Year with theme parties, sizzling dance shows, heady wine and music.

With casinos as the theme, Swabhumi Heritage Plaza gives the opportunity to live a night Vegas style. Ukrainian dancers have been hired to burn the dance floor to the tune of the latest and retro Bollywood hits, alongside a dazzling beam laser show and food counters serving Continental, Indian and Oriental cuisine, making the Viva Las Vegas an alluring prospect.

"We have created a slice of Las Vegas and hope to give the visitors the opportunity to spend a night Vegan style. The highlight of the evening though will be a beam laser show besides the flair bartenders who will flaunt their skills while mixing the drinks," said a spokesperson.

With Bollywood hottie Kainat Arora as the host, the Nicco Park is inviting people to spend a wet and wild Arabian Night at the water park in an ambience lit up by belly and fire dancers as DJs lilt up their best tunes.

For those who want to spend the night far from the maddening crowd, the 153-year-old Dalhousie Institute (DI) has arranged for ballroom dance as American band Blue Mist plays a cocktail of slow dance numbers and popular western songs.

Five star hotel Taj Bengal's "The Party of the Year" at the poolside promises a fantastic setting for a grand celebration. A champagne welcome, premium select bar, a gala buffet dinner spread comprising live stations of caviar, seafood, roast turkey and dessert accompanied by live band presents a memorable way to ring in 2014.

An unforgettable blend of grill and roast, delectable Awadhi dishes and mouth watering kebabs to go with Darbari Ghazal and Mujra, the Hotel Hindusthan International is offering "Naquab Nasha" - a peep into the life of the Nawabs of Lucknow.

While most of the star hotels have opted for belly dancers, niche menus and DJs belting out popular numbers to attract the young generation, The Chrome has something different to offer - a fashion show which will witness Bengali actors Rachana Banerjee and Shaheb Chatterjee sashaying down the ramp with city models while Tollywood actress Indrani Dutta gives a retro cabaret performance.

Revellers at the grand old Calcutta Cricket & Football Club can groove to the lilting voice of Neha Bhasin - known for her chart buster "Dhunki" from Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" film. Hosted by TV actress and VJ Khushboo Grewal, a Mumbai-based dance troupe will do the jigs while a dazzling display of fireworks will light up the midnight sky.

To ensure there is no threat to the city's revelry, the police have made elaborate security arrangements, putting up watch towers and CCTV cameras at strategic locations to keep a hawk eye on the proceedings.

Besides deploying adequate number of male and female security personnel in uniform and plain clothes, at least three radio flying squads - including an all-women's team - will be pressed into service.

The police, which have been studying the footfalls, crowd behavior, crime pattern and traffic problems from previous years, will preserve this year's CCTV footage for future reference. The police will also be in constant touch with restaurant, bar and hotel owners to ensure that any confrontation inside an establishment is immediately reported , a senior officer said.

The police will also mount air surveillance during the year-end with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) patrolling the city sky.

"The UAVs will patrol the night sky from Dec 30 to Jan 1, providing live feeds to LalBazar (city police headquarters) control room giving valuable data regarding traffic movement, crowd management and the like," the officer said.