The pastor of Guwahati Baptist Church, Dr Makhan Lal Das, said at 9.30 in the morning, mass prayer was held in the church, where almost 1,500 people converged.Expressing optimism over the active participation of other communities in Christmas, the pastor said it has fostered a sense of kinship among the Christians of the state who are a minority group as per the population of the country. “Over the years, people from other communities have also started to actively take part in Christmas festivities. Although a section of them only visits the church, many of them also offer prayers and light candles,” he said.
“For them, a special arrangement of songs and dance has been carried out inside the church since 1998 so that they also can have fun. The Guwahati Baptist Church first started the tradition, following which now almost every church in the state have been making special arrangements which has helped strengthen the bond between Christians and other communities,” he added.
Christ Church of the city, the oldest church in the entire northeast, also decorated its premise with colourful lights and other decorative items. The priest in charge of the church, Reverend Harrison Messih, said, “Every year around 30,000-40,000 people visit the church on Christmas. This year also we are expecting high footfall.”
A visitor to the Christ Church in the Panbazar area of the city, Ayushi Chakraborty, said, “I have been visiting the church from my childhood on Christmas, it has now become a tradition for my family. I prayed to God for the wellbeing of my family and humanity.”
Panbazar, where a number of churches are located, witnessed a huge flow of people starting from Monday morning. Traffic police personnel were deployed in the area to facilitate hassle-free movement.
We also published the following articles recently
Churches in Ranchi are decked up to celebrate the birth of Jesus. St. Marys Cathedral has decorated its interiors with white drapes, colourful lights, and cribs depicting the nativity scene. Thousands are expected to attend the Christmas mass at the cathedral, so a giant TV screen has been installed for live streaming. St. Pauls Cathedral, undergoing a facelift, has opted for simpler decorations this year. The oldest church in Jharkhand, Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, is adorned with colourful lights, hanging stars, chandeliers, and artificial cones embedded with coloured balls.
Mysuru’s yuletide celebrations begin with Christmas preparations at the city’s oldest churches. St. Bartholomew Church, constructed in 1830, is being whitewashed for the occasion and will host a Watch Night Service on Christmas Eve. St. Philomenas Church, built in the 1930s, houses a relic of St. Philomena and attracts many visitors during Christmas. Wesley Cathedral, named after John Wesley, holds great heritage value. These churches are examples of how heritage buildings should be maintained and can be big tourist attractions.
Pune churches prepare for Christmas eve with joy and cheer. Midnight Masses will be held in decorated churches with carol singers and nativity scenes. All Saints Church in Khadki will have a 10.30pm service and a 9am Mass on Christmas day. Churches in Pune have also started donation drives. St Patricks Cathedral will host a midnight Mass led by Bishop John Rodrigues. God the Holy Spirit Chapel in Vithalwadi will have a Mass with 200 attendees.