Jaipur: It’s milk over malt in Pink City, where revellers are pouring out a different kind of spirit on New Year’s Eve.
You might have heard of city police piloting innovative campaigns to rein in drunken partying on New Year’s Eve, but it’s unlikely you’ve seen one that involves handing out Patiala pegs of fresh milk instead of whisky or rum.
‘Daru nahin, Dudh se kare nav varsh ka swagat’ (welcome New Year with milk, not alcohol) has been a unique success since the early 2000s, with large roadside stalls serving milk in a variety of flavours—kesar, badam, and more—from steaming kadais into traditional kulhads with a DJ blasting lively, upbeat popular Haryanvi track “Dhai Litar Dudh”.
Several people claim to have introduced the idea, including Congress functionary Pushpendra Bhardwaj, who contested the MLA polls from the Sanganer constituency, and Dharamveer Katewa, secretary of the Indian Asthma Care Society. Regardless, the movement continued to grow. So much so that in districts like Deedwana-Kuchaman, police have jumped on the bandwagon too, with SHOs organising “milk points” to serve piping hot kesar-badam milk and urging youngsters to steer clear of alcohol.
The ‘milk points’ are strategically organised near areas with a high concentration of students and youth. In Jaipur alone, this year’s ‘Dudh Mahotsav’ is being held in over half a dozen areas including Jhotwara, Vaishali Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Sanganer. Dairy companies are milking the opportunity and have partnered with organisers too. In some residential societies, halwais are roped in to dish out piping hot gajar and dal ka halwa alongside the simmering milk, making a feast of the say-no-to-alcohol drive.
Talking to TOI, Katewa said he conceived the idea in 2002 after witnessing drunken chaos on Jaipur’s streets on New Year’s Eve and decided to launch the campaign outside Rajasthan University. “Our goal was to make this initiative a celebratory tradition, much like any other festival. Today, it has spread not just across Jaipur but also throughout the state and other parts of the country,” he added.
Explore the yearly horoscope 2025 for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces zodiac signs. Spread love this holiday season with these New Year wishes, messages and quotes.
You might have heard of city police piloting innovative campaigns to rein in drunken partying on New Year’s Eve, but it’s unlikely you’ve seen one that involves handing out Patiala pegs of fresh milk instead of whisky or rum.
‘Daru nahin, Dudh se kare nav varsh ka swagat’ (welcome New Year with milk, not alcohol) has been a unique success since the early 2000s, with large roadside stalls serving milk in a variety of flavours—kesar, badam, and more—from steaming kadais into traditional kulhads with a DJ blasting lively, upbeat popular Haryanvi track “Dhai Litar Dudh”.
Several people claim to have introduced the idea, including Congress functionary Pushpendra Bhardwaj, who contested the MLA polls from the Sanganer constituency, and Dharamveer Katewa, secretary of the Indian Asthma Care Society. Regardless, the movement continued to grow. So much so that in districts like Deedwana-Kuchaman, police have jumped on the bandwagon too, with SHOs organising “milk points” to serve piping hot kesar-badam milk and urging youngsters to steer clear of alcohol.
The ‘milk points’ are strategically organised near areas with a high concentration of students and youth. In Jaipur alone, this year’s ‘Dudh Mahotsav’ is being held in over half a dozen areas including Jhotwara, Vaishali Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Sanganer. Dairy companies are milking the opportunity and have partnered with organisers too. In some residential societies, halwais are roped in to dish out piping hot gajar and dal ka halwa alongside the simmering milk, making a feast of the say-no-to-alcohol drive.
Talking to TOI, Katewa said he conceived the idea in 2002 after witnessing drunken chaos on Jaipur’s streets on New Year’s Eve and decided to launch the campaign outside Rajasthan University. “Our goal was to make this initiative a celebratory tradition, much like any other festival. Today, it has spread not just across Jaipur but also throughout the state and other parts of the country,” he added.
Explore the yearly horoscope 2025 for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces zodiac signs. Spread love this holiday season with these New Year wishes, messages and quotes.
