Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 25: A spirit of festivity pervaded across the State as midnight masses, resonance of carols and cheerfulness ushered in Christmas celebrations today.
As bells tolled, worshipers’ thronged churches and cathedrals decorated with twinkling lights for the midnight service to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Sparkling Christmas trees and gift items adorned marketplaces that wore a festive look as community feasts, exchange of greetings and colourful processions marked the occasion.
Traditional Christmas carols rendered the air festive with gospel bands enthralling the merry-makers with songs. It was a busy day for Santa Claus, the man in red with a flowing white beard, who went from place to place cheering the revellers.
Click here to watch video
The winter capital tuned to a celebratory note with the yuletide spirit reflecting in tastefully decked up churches and santa caps dotting busy marketplaces.
Special prayers for world peace and brotherhood were held at churches. The main gathering was witnessed at the St Mary’s Garrison Church, Gandhi Nagar road, where devotees assembled in large numbers to celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ.
The church was decorated with colourful buntings and balloons and wore a festive look.
Not only Christians, but people from different faiths also visited churches along with their families and offered prayers.
“With so many disturbing things happening across the globe, especially terrorism which has affected every nation, we prayed for peace in the world so that every human being lives without fear,” said Vishal Sharma, a student.
“As crime against women is rising day by day, I prayed for the safety of women in the country so that they can roam freely in any part of India,” Ananya Mahajan said.
Apart from this, fool proof security arrangements were made across the churches and the busiest market places so as to avoid any untoward incident.
The Christmas celebrations were also held in different churches across the Jammu Province including Jammu, Samba, Kathua, etc.
Large number of people irrespective of caste, creed and colour visited the churches and offered prayers.
Meanwhile, Christmas was celebrated today in Kashmir with traditional enthusiasm and religious fervour with members of the small population of Christians in the valley thronging churches for mass as special prayers were held for world peace.
The biggest mass in the Valley was held at the Holy Family Catholic Church at Maulana Azad Road here, where hundreds of Christians, including women and children, assembled to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ and held special prayers.
The church was decorated with colourful buntings and balloons and it wore a festive look.
Among the believers were tourists from different parts of the country and world who joined the locals on the auspicious day and prayed for world peace and brotherhood.
Similar prayers were held at other churches including the Saint Joseph’s Church in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, the oldest Catholic Church in Jammu and Kashmir and at the Church in the tourist resort of Gulmarg.
“We prayed for peace across the globe, especially in Kashmir on the birth of Jesus”, one of the participants of the mass held at the Holy Family Catholic church said.
However, people missed ‘White Christmas’ as there was no snowfall in the Valley.
“We are disappointed that there was no snowfall on Christmas eve. Although we will be able to see snow at Gulmarg, but fresh snowfall on this day adds to the beauty of the festival”, a group of tourists from Delhi said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
