West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday extended her New Year greetings to people and prayed for a new dawn and happiness, as revellers across the state ushered in 2020 with enthusiasm and fervour.
Taking to Twitter, she wrote, "May the #NewYear 2020 brings with it new hope, a new dawn and happiness for everyone. #HappyNewYear."
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar sought to remind everyone about the fundamental duties enshrined in Article 51A of the Constitution on this occasion.
"Let us all resolve that in 2020 we'll focus on the Fundamental Duties in Article 51A of the Constitution and observe them. Observance of these will generate a huge wholesome impact on our society. Students in schools and colleges will be inspired by a mere look at these," he wrote on his Twitter handle.
Merriment, picnics and social gatherings marked the first day of 2020 across the state, with major tourist attractions drawing huge crowds since morning.
Many were seen queuing up outside Alipore Zoological Garden, Botanical Garden and several other amusement parks in the city, which have been specially decked up on the occasion.
Victoria Memorial, in the heart of the city, was choc-a-bloc with merrymakers, while picnickers were seen indulging in sundry games on the sprawling Maidan.
Thousands gathered at Belur Math at Dakshineswar, the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission, to mark Kalpataru Utsav - an annual festival to commemorate Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa's attainment of an "ecstatic state".
Devotees were also seen huddling at Kalighat, Tarapith and Kankalitala temples to offer prayers.
Vigil has been upped in and around the city to avoid any untoward incident.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
