This is a ritual which is not new and is continuation of a British tradition.

In the 1900s the City was no more than a town with one lakh inhabitants divided into the City and the Civil and Military Station (Cantonment) areas.

The New Year was celebrated  in a spectacular manner, marked by grand marches, elaborate parties.

Bangalore Cantonment was the headquarters of the British population. The older parts of Bangalore used to be called the City, where the Ugadi was the New Year for the Hindus. Today Hindus observe both Ugadi as the new year and the New Year of the Gregorian calendar (which begins on January 1).  Today, in cosmopolitan Bangalore, any excuse is good enough for celebrating.

Much of the festivities in the Cantonment came from the troops as they moved to their respective clubs like Bangalore United Services (abbreviated to BUS Club and now called Bangalore Club) and the Bowring Institute, both of which were out of bound to the lower ranks. The bands of Claude Thomas and his Elite Aces and Fred Hitchcock and his Swingaphonians would be in attendance at these clubs.

The others made a beeline to Basco’s, Elysium and Arabian Nights on Brigade Road or to Funnels and Baccalas on South Parade (now M G Road). Even the reputation of Bangalore as a pub city has its origin in the cantonment with popular pubs of yesteryears like Old Bull and Bush on Brigade Road and Green on South Parade. Today there are a number of trendy pubs, but they are too crowded on New Year’s eve and the bouncers on the doorway have to bar the entry of many a revellers, who would like to take a quick swig to usher in the New Year.
New Year’s ever was a day out of bounds for civilians on Brigade Road and South Parade in view of the drunken brawls between the “Tommies” (British soldiers) and the “Yanks” (American soldiers). They were arch rivals and brawls between them were common.

In Cox Town, located in Bangalore East area, there is a New Year tradition which is over 50 years old - the Cox Town Santhe. Hundreds of vendors and their families pitch their tent on New Year’s day at Cox Town santhe.
The santhe which resembles a carnival, starts at the dawn of the New year and goes up to midnight.
Over 500 stalls sell every kind of item - sweets, spices, flowers, toys, readymade dresses, household goods. Many families from Bangalore East area do their first shopping of the New Year. It has become a kind of ritual for them.

A festive atmosphere prevails at the Santhe. Children can have their candies, toys and joy rides on the merry-go-round found in Indian melas. Form the mela to the mall may be a fry cry, but the tradition of Cox Town santhe however continues.

Meanwhile, Brigade Road is all decked-up for the new year. For many years now the Brigades Shops and Establishements Association has been ushering in the New Year by lighting up the street brightly to consolidate their status as a premium shopping district.