Delirious Indians broke into unprecedented celebrations across the country, setting off fireworks, jamming main ' thoroughfares with vehicles and partying hard on the streets savouring glory as India won the cricket World Cup.
Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the nation in hailing the Indian cricket team's World Cup triumph saying it is a testimony to the hard work of the players and the astute leadership of MS Dhoni.
In a message to Dhoni, President Patil said "the road to success has been long and hard. You and your team were tested at every stage.
"All of you truly deserve the thanks of a billion plus Indians today," she said.
The Prime Minister said "the hard work and the effort of MS Dhoni and his men have been rewarded".
The President of India's ruling Congress party Sonia Gandhi, a high-security political leader, joined thousands of ecstatic fans near ITO Crossing in central Delhi at around midnight. She reached out to the people and shook hands with the large number of fans who were dancing and singing there.
The crowd went into raptures and what would have been a brief stopover stretched to about half-an-hour.
"Congratulations to everybody. We have won," Sonia was saying to everyone. While leaving, she told the bikers who were overexcited to see her, "Drive safe and all the best." Long after she left, the message seemed to have been lost on the bikers. They began doing stunts at the crossing, holding up the traffic and causing a nuisance. But such was the euphoria and the festive atmosphere no sooner Dhoni struck a huge six to post India's historic six-wicket triumph.
From the mega cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi to India's rural hinterland, where entire villages had gathered around television sets to watch the final, this cricket-obsessed nation went into delirious meltdown as they celebrated the country's regaining the World Cup after a 28-year wait.
It was also an outpour of nationalistic spirit as the streets of metropolitan cities and smaller towns turned into a sea of dancing and cheering Indian fans waving the national flag and singing the national anthem.
Motorbikes with pillion passengers waving the saffron, white and green Indian tricolor roared up and down Mumbai's sweeping Marine Drive promenade along the Arabian Sea, the throughfares around Delhi's landmark India Gate and Kolkata's Park Street, the most popular address for entertainment, weaving in and out of the traffic, as cars hooted their horns in accompaniment.
"This night will never be forgotten", said Raj Kumar who stays in a neighbourhood of Dhoni.
It was Diwali, the festival of light, once more on the streets of Mumbai, the venue of the final, as fireworks lit up the night sky and the playing of musical instruments like drums reverberated throughout the city as the "biggest partyon the planet" began.
It was a special moment for many young fans who had not watched India's previous World Cup triumph in 1983.
"Many of us were either not born in 1983 or were not grown up to watch Kapil Dev wining against the West Indies. We have grown up hearing the Kapil Devil's story from our parents.
"We waited through years, and six editions of World Cups passed by. The moment has come now," said 18-year-old Neha Keshri in MayurVihar locality of Delhi.
"Celebration has just begun... It will go on and on. We will not stop", said Bijay Dubey, a 33-year-old fan in Mandi House.
REWARDS RAIN IN
FOR INDIAN STARS
Cash awards and other freebies today rained in for the Indian cricket team which won the cricket World Cup.
The Indian cricket board announced Rs one crore for each member of the team and Rs 50 lakh for every member of the support staff while Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Rs two crore would be given to team captain MS Dhoni and Rs one crore each for four Delhi-based players of the team—Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Ashish Nehra.
Uttarakhand state government has decided to give two houses free of cost to batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni in the hill resort town of Mussourie.
While Mussourie is a favourite hill station of Tendulkar, along with his family, it is home to Dhoni's in-laws.