People thronged heritage sites, places of worship, malls, the zoo and parks to celebrate the onset of the New Year here on Thursday amid chilly winter breeze and bright sunshine.

Thousands were seen at Rashtra Prerna Sthal, Janeshwar Mishra Park, Lohia Park, Ambedkar Park and memorials.

Over 24,592 people visited Lucknow Zoo where a festive atmosphere prevailed as people from different walks of life celebrated the first day of the New Year, chatting, laughing, shooting reels and posing for photographs and selfies. While some just sat in groups, a few were seen playing games, even as others had a stroll.

People also flocked to the enclosures throughout the day. Many waited patiently in long-queues to get a tour of the zoo premises in the children’s train.

There was a long queue of people waiting to enter the Bhulbhulaiya at Bara Imambara. The patience paid off as they exclaimed their joy on reaching the top of the Imambara, marvelling at the heritage zone, getting photographs clicked and feeling the cool breeze.

At city malls, youth relished fast-food with their friends. Donning winter clothes in style, they posed for photographs near the decorations at the malls.

Soon after midnight, people began turning up in large numbers at religious places to pray for a better year. The trail of devotees continued all day long.

Kritika Mishra, 26, a student, partied with her friends at a restaurant. “We tried different cuisines, sang

and danced along. We even clicked selfies and photographs for social media,” said Mishra.