Posted on 12/24/2005 7:24:09 PM PST by CarrotAndStick
Children light candles at the Sacred Heart Church on Christmas Eve, in Delhi on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005. (AP)
NEW DELHI: Christianity came to India much before it went to the West, perhaps a reason why India's 25 million Christians prefer to be Catholic in faith, oriental in worship and Indian in culture.
It has been a two-way process - a process of osmosis where Christianity has over the centuries become an indelible part of Indian plurality. Not only for the urban middle classes enthusiastically getting ready for Christmas, a festival that long ago surpassed the boundaries of mere religion, but also for the many millions who have studied in missionary schools.
On the flip side, many customs of the majority Hindu religion have assimilated into Christian traditions, making for a uniquely Indian Christianity in a country where the community forms the second largest minority group after the Muslims and constitutes 2.4 percent of its one billion plus population.
According to a 2003 report of Directory of Catholic Health Facilities in India, the Catholic church itself has 764 hospitals, 2,975 dispensaries and health centres and 115 medical training centers throughout the country.
Young orphans play with gifts at the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata on Friday, December 23, 2005. (Reuters)
There are eight Christian community-run medical colleges apart from 600 Catholic nuns trained as medical doctors serving in rural areas of the country.
The community-run educational institutions claim to have produced many scientific and technological luminaries, besides producing a host of civil servants, entrepreneurs and political leaders, including India's first citizen, President A P J Abdul Kalam.
Students dressed as Santa Claus sing Christmas carols in Chandigarh on Friday, December 23, 2005. (Reuters)
Christianity came to India in 52 AD, long before it travelled to many of the west European Christian countries. The religion is believed to have been introduced by St. Thomas, a carpenter by profession and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Although it reached in the first century, the community confined itself largely to India's southern coastal areas, mainly in Kerala, for almost 1,500 years. It spread to other parts like Goa and the northeast, particularly Mizoram - now a Christian majority state - after the arrival of the Portuguese in India in the 15th century, followed by the French and the British.
A man dressed as Santa Claus with children at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on the eve of Christmas in Delhi on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005. ( PTI)
"It is absolutely wrong to confuse Indian Christianity with colonial rule. When St. Thomas came here there was no colonialism," Kakkanattu told IANS.
"In fact, missionary activity, which was already there when the Portuguese and the British came, helped in mobilising general opinion against foreign rule," said Kakkanattu, the priest from the southern state that has a heavy Christian population.
A woman and a child pray at a church on Christmas Eve, in Delhi, India, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005. (AP)
It is believed that the modern Indian renaissance began from West Bengal largely under the influence of Christianity, which brought in a new philosophy and social ideology.
Many prominent opinion makers, social leaders and outstanding educationists of Kolkata, the seat of the British empire in the last century, were Bengali Christians, like W.C Bonnerjee, the first president of the Indian National Congress, and Michael Madhusudhan Dutt, poet and playwright.
A girl lights a candle at a church on the Christmas Eve, in Delhi on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005. (AP)
The Catholic Church in India comprises three individual Churches - Latin, Malabar and Malankara. Among the other Christian groups are Syrian Christians, Knanaya, Goan Christians, Tamil Christians and Naga Christians, with each category having its own distinct language and social customs.
But they are still all one, in sync, despite all differences, with one another and the pan-Indian identity to which all belong.
Christianity is headed eastward. God's will be done.
The X'mas Eve: Students dressed as Santa Claus sing Christmas carols in Chandigarh on Saturday, Dec 24, 2005. (Reuters)
| Merry Christmas from IRAN with lots of pictures |
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| Posted by Khashayar | ||
A special Merry Christmas to all Indian FReepers. Thanks CarrotAndStick for posting this thread.
indcons
You're welcome!
Merry Christmas to my FRiends here. May this Christmas bring happiness, success, and prosperity to you and your dear ones.
Thought you might be interested in seeing this thread on how we celebrate Christmas in India.
Best Wishes,
indcons
Thanks to both of you for posting such nice pictures. I always love to see how people live and celebrate holidays around the world. Sometimes I think we miss so much by not having festive dress to wear for our celebrations. It' seems to make it so much more special and helps to really cement the traditions.
Interesting read, although most of it was dedicated to the Catholics. I guess I a little prejudiced being a St. Thomas Christian. =)
However, that said, I fully expect to see a large number of Catholics and others in heaven!
Holy crap! They've outsourced Christmas! :)
Students of Blue Bird School, Sector 16, Chandigarh, celebrate Christmas on Tuesday. —Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma.
Devotees light candles to mark Christmas celebrations at Sector 19 church in Chandigarh on Wednesday. — Tribune photo Pankaj Sharma
Candles of faith: Christians light candles at the Catholic Church in Sector 19, Chandigarh, on the eve of Christmas on Friday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan
Students of Rai School, Chandigarh, dressed for the Christmas day celebrations on Friday.
Black is back, along with alluring red caps
Sambhavna Seth and her troupe perform at the Chandigarh Club in Chandigarh on Christmas Eve on Friday. — Tribune photo by Parvesh Chauhan
Students of DAV Public School, Ambala Cantonment, on Christmas Eve. — Photo by Neeraj Chopra
Christmas Eve in Ambala
A girl looks at a Christmas Tree at a gift shop in Shimla on Tuesday. — Photo by Anil Dayal
President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with children of North-East States at a programme of Christmas carols at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. —PTI
Children dressed as Santa Claus participate at a function to celebrate Christmas, in Bhopal on Tuesday.
Students of St George’s School celebrate Christmas
Tiny tots of Kidzee school presenting a festive programme
A young girl attends Christmas celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan (the official residence of the President of India) in New Delhi on Friday. — PTI
Popular Indian actor Sunil Shetty waves to his fans while standing next to a statue of Santa Claus during the promotion of his latest film "Kaante" in New Delhi on Saturday. — Reuters
A model, Piu Sarkar, holds up Christmas candles in KolKata on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of Christians are joined by people of other faiths in the run-up to the popular festival Christmas and its celebrations in the city. — Reuters
A woman and her son light candles at a church on the occasion of Christmas in Srinagar (this is in the Indian state of Kashmir, the one grappling with Islamic insurgents sneaking from across the border with Pakistan) on Saturday. — PTI photo
Pinging because I added a few more pictures.
Students of Love Dale Montessori, Sarabha Nagar, dressed up as Santa Claus offer sweets to a student dressed up as Mother Mary during Christmas celebrations at Ludhiana on Friday. — Photo by Pardeep Tewari
Girls dance at a Christmas party held at Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph
A fairy dances in the midst of little Santas at a Christmas celebration organised by St Xavier School in Ludhiana on Friday. — Tribune photograph
Thank you! Have a Merry Christmas.
Thanks! And a Merry Christmas to you too!
Thank you, and may all of your holidays be happy!
Merry Christmas, indcons!
. . . . . . From East Tennessee. . . . . . .
Thanks for the thread and the ping!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to our Indian FRiends!
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