Christmas celebration in Kalimpong

The sizeable Christian population of Kalimpong town celebrated Christmas with traditional fervour and gaiety today.

The celebration began last night itself with people thronging the various churches dotting the town for midnight mass. The churches were again the focal point this morning as the faithfuls converged for the morning prayers.

After the service, children and adults alike enjoyed the goodies served at the peace feasts on the premises of the churches. People, dressed in new clothes, were also seen exchanging cards and gifts.

Later, the party shifted to individual houses where family and friends gathered.

The town itself wore a festive look with many shops decorated for Christmas. The bakeries did brisk business. “The sale of cakes and chocolates has gone up this year. It probably has to do with the sudden influx of foreign tourists in the last couple of days,” said Abhishek Khanna, the owner of 3Cs, a popular confectionery here.

Hosanna Covenant Charitable Trust and Living Stone Ministries have decided to donate blankets to 20-odd beggars in town on Friday. “We also plan to give them packaged food,” said Paul Prakash, the president of Living Stone Ministries.

In Siliguri last night, 17 members of the Rotaract Club took on the role of Santa Claus, distributing blankets, clothes and food to 40 footpath dwellers.

“The aim was to celebrate the birth of Christ. We took on the role of Santa Claus to bring surprise and joy to the downtrodden. We hope that the initiative will show them that somebody cares,” said club president Khushboo Maheshwari.

Holy Light initiative

Holy Light Academy, an educational institution that also runs an orphanage, celebrated Christmas through a cultural programme today, reports our Cooch Behar correspondent.

The students of the school and boarders from the orphanage enacted scenes from the Nativity and sang carols. Meritorious students were given prizes.

Source: The Telegraph

Christmas gift for Kalimpong

Kalimpong: The carol festival ended here tonight with a dance performance by a three-member Fijian troupe.

The all-men team comprising Mark Barvear, Letani Quranivalu and Jerry Bosevanua danced with gusto, at times even threatening to bring down the temporary stage set up on Main Road. Through their dances, they sought to spread the message of Christ. Attired in a mix of traditional Fijian and modern clothes comprising lavalava (a cloth worn like a kilt or skirt) and black T-shirts with leaves tied around the wrists, the dancers won the hearts of the evening crowd.

“We would have danced bare bodied, but for the biting cold and the fact that both my mates are suffering from cold,” Barvear said. All the four dances were in “praise of the Lord”.

“While Mebaia roughly means God has a place in our lives even before we are born, Neibalu means the battle is not yours, but belongs to God,” explained Barvear. The other two dances were titled Israel and Kikaha.

In fact, the festival organised by the Christian community under the banner of Kalimpong Carol Festival Committee began on Monday and drew a good response on all four days. The Fijians, too, appeared happy. “We love the Indians. In fact, 40 per cent of the population back home is of Indian origin. Having performed in Pune, Delhi, Calcutta and now Kalimpong, I can tell you we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,” said Barvear. Asked about the relationship between the native Fijians and those of Indian origin, Barvear said things were much better now than it was earlier.

Into its fifth year, the carol festival’s popularity has been growing steadily. “To have this kind of festival in the middle of a long and dreary winter is wonderful. It creates the right mood leading up to Christmas and New Year,” said Ujwal Rai, a resident.

Source: The Telegraph