Happy New Year: World celebrates arrival of 2023; skies dazzle up with firecrackers

India and the world are ringing in 2023 with celebrations and parties, amid concerns about Covid-19 cases surging in some countries.

New Delhi, Dec 31: India and the world are ringing in 2023 with celebrations and parties, amid concerns about Covid-19 cases surging in some countries. New Zealand and Australia welcomed 2023 with massive fireworks after two years of disruptions due to Covid.

After Covid halted festivities in 2020 and 2021, large crowds gathered in New Zealand and became one of the first major cities to celebrate the New Year.

Celebrations are being held at the Great Wall in Beijing, while in Shanghai authorities said traffic will be stopped along the waterfront Bund to allow pedestrians to gather on New Year's Eve. Shanghai Disneyland will also hold a special fireworks show to welcome 2023.

Happy New Year from Auckland! pic.twitter.com/qUGkq9m7uX

— Jamie Larounis (@TheForwardCabin) December 31, 2022

On the last day of the year marked by the brutal war in Ukraine, many in the country returned to capital Kyiv to spend New Year's Eve with their loved ones.

It’s 23:24 KST in Seoul. I’m at Seoul Arts Center to greet the New Year 2023! Many people are gathering here to see the festive mood with classic sounds. #NewYear #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/ofFIzxSRSr

— Jaehwan Cho 조재환 (@hohocho) December 31, 2022

In India, the police in all the major cities across the country prepared for crowd control on New Year's eve.

The police in Chhattisgarh's Raipur are using catchy social media posts and videos to warn people against drinking and driving. In one of the posts in Hindi, the police said speeding drivers will have to usher in the New Year inside a police lock-up.

In Gujarat, anticipating heavy footfall in public places, the Gujarat police have made elaborate security arrangements and warned people against taking drugs and alcohol.

Tourists throng Uttarakhands Nainital for new year celebrations pic.twitter.com/RYEWMF7vHW

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) December 31, 2022

Organisers of midnight parties reported encouraging response and said tickets are being bought online in large numbers. This will be the first time in two years that celebrations will be held without COVID-19 norms, news agency PTI reported.

People celebrate the beginning of New Year 2023 with dazzling lights, music & dance in Uttarakhands Mussoorie pic.twitter.com/MH70F9mrJY

— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2022

In Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, security has been tightened for better crowd control. "On the basis of reports from government departments, we are prepared to manage a crowd of 50 lakh devotees in Ayodhya on the first day of the New Year," Senior Superintendent of Police Muniraj told PTI.

A huge crowd emerged at Marine Drive in Mumbai to celebrate New Year 2023 pic.twitter.com/V2rIbyd7yO

— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2022

Goa welcomes New Year 2023 with lights, music & dance at the Majestic Group hotel in Panaji pic.twitter.com/vuPPrLIU6H

— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2022

It has been a good Christmas-New Year week for Rajasthan's tourism sector, with hotels and resorts packed with visitors. The footfall of tourists in Rajasthan is the highest after the pandemic that started in 2020 and affected the sector in 2021 also.

Chhattisgarh | CRPFs 74th Battalion personnel celebrate New Year in the Naxal-affected area of the Sukma district. Several cultural programs have been organised. pic.twitter.com/ONzhMMuMR1

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) December 31, 2022

A man was arrested in Mumbai for allegedly threatening bomb blasts at some places in the city on New Year's eve, the police said today. The accused, Narendra Kavale, was arrested from Dharavi.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have issued directives to all security personnel and deployed adequate number of patrolling vehicles at crowded places to prevent any law and order situation in the state.