Sreebhumi, Patuli vie with city heart to play Pied Piper on Christmas Day
Times of India | 26 December 2025
Kolkata: Park Street, the city's iconic party avenue, came alive on Christmas Day as revellers from across Kolkata and its fringes gathered to celebrate the festive season. Many Kolkatans began their day exploring the city's other popular spots — Eco Park, Maidan, St Paul's Cathedral, Alipore zoo, and Bow Barracks — before culminating their festive trail at the bustling avenue. In the evening, the festive energy extended beyond the avenue to Christmas fairs across the city, including Sreebhumi, Patuli, and even Kasba.
The crowd started building up shortly after noon. Families arrived for Christmas lunch at restaurants lining Park Street, while pedestrians, many sporting Santa caps, reindeer horns, and glittering attire, gradually filled the pavements. By 5.40 pm, traffic gave way to revellers, turning the street into a pedestrian-only celebration hub, complete with street performers, music, and the aroma of seasonal treats.
The influx of people surged particularly after Alipore zoo and St Paul's Cathedral closed around 4.30 pm.
Nainika Roy of New Town, enjoying ice cream with a friend while sporting a Santa cap and devil's horns, said, "We visited Eco Park in the morning and then came to Park Street in the evening. It's been a wonderful day." Khushi Sharma from Howrah, visiting with her family of five after a trip to the Botanical Gardens, added, "It's heart-warming to see so many people out enjoying the season together."
Alipore zoo welcomed 44,654 visitors on Thursday while Indian Museum had 7,979 guests. Officials noted that turnout at the zoo was lower than its usual high-footfall festive days' count of 75,000-1 lakh, likely due to confusion about the weekly Thursday closure. Nevertheless, families who visited had a memorable experience. "The tiger, monkeys, and chimpanzee were all lively, and since it wasn't too crowded, we could sit and enjoy some light food on the open grounds," said Aratrika Banerjee of Jadavpur, who visited the zoo with her children.
At St Paul's Cathedral, software engineer Partha Pratim Pal clicked selfies with his wife and son. "This is Kolkata at its best, where all festivals are celebrated together," he said, soaking in the music, lights, and festive decor. Young professionals, like Bornita Moulick and Ananya Singh, also joined the celebrations after spending the afternoon at Maidan and the cathedral. "Kolkata looks its prettiest this time of the year, and we couldn't miss being part of it," Moulick said.
As night fell, Park Street glittered with lights, laughter, and music. Visitors moved from one restaurant to another, sampling festive treats, enjoying performances, and taking photographs against illuminated trees and decorations.
The scene was similar at Patuli and Sreebhumi.
Trina Chatterjee of Salt Lake, who was at Sreebhumi, said: "The crowd was massive, with a long queue just to enter the fair — it felt like a Saptami evening."
(Inputs from Biplab Bhattacharjee & Debobrata Shome)