The spread of cotton on the Christmas trees grown in earthen pots giving the impression of snow, mounted on wooden altars around the Christ crib was attracting everyone’s eyes on Thursday evening.
The little children of the neighbouring slum colonies and the kids of doctors and nurses who work in this charitable hospital gratified their curiosity by gazing for a long time at everything that rendered the spot agreeable to their eyes. For all the visions, French tarts, pancakes, chocolate brownies, creamy cakes, and fruit pasteries were dancing in the heads of everyone before the bell rang for the Christmas Eve celebrations.
The carol singing by the monks clad in white ‘dhotis’ and ‘chadars’ began in Ram Krishan Mission Sewashram. Famous churches celebrating the festival of Christmas is a common sight, but a Hindu temple celebrating Christmas is a thing which can’t be missed.
In the streets of Kankhal of the holy city, which are famous for taking out Shiva’s wedding processions amidst the sound of cymbals, jingle of Christmas bells could be heard in this Hindu temple.
Pradeep Chaudhary, the son of a nurse accompanied by her mom exclaimed, “I wait for the whole year for this Christmas as we get so many goodies and varieties of cakes to feast on both at eve and the Christmas breakfast.” Christ and Krishna both incarnated for the good of the world and to absolve our sins. We must celebrate all festivals in true spirit, said the lady doctor.
This commonly known Bengali hospital of Haridwar has a temple dedicated to Ramakrishna Paramahansa where the Christmas décor can be seen in full splendour. The crib of Jesus arranged in a corner of the meditation hall and illumined with a number of candles put in the form of a cross rendered a spiritual atmosphere. The ochre robed monks gave the infant Jesus proofs of their gratitude and love by singing.
Message of peace and brotherhood and the importance of the Bada Din (Christmas) was given by the head priest of the temple on the Christmas eve and sermons were recited from the holy Bible. Speaking to The Pioneer, the general secretary of Ram Krishna mission Swami Nityashuddhananda said, “We have a long tradition of celebrating Christmas in the temple. It all started with Swami Atulananda (monastic name of Cornelius, a western devotee from Holland) who stayed in the mission premises during his last days in 1965. He inspired the ashram inmates to the tradition of celebrating Christmas.
“Ram Krishna Mission embodies the principle of harmony of religions. We have been celebrating major festivals of other religions too and Christmas holds a special significance to this place. The message of Jesus to ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ needs to be reinstated in today’s era of religious conflicts,” says the seer.
Another seer from Almora gave parallel teachings on the Bhagwadgita and the holy Bible deliberating on the striking similarities on Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna and Sermon on mount by Jesus, the Christ. Speaking on the eternal message of the Bible, “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect”, the monk extolled everyone to strive to be a perfect being living the life of values.