Hyderabad: The inter-faith Christmas spirit engulfs city
Hyderabad: They say don’t underestimate any festival in Hyderabad, and the same applies to Christmas. The city's celebration was a mix of festivities at 400-year-old churches, midnight mass attended by thousands, a Muslim bakery’s famous plum cake and children darting between carts selling balloons outside a centenary church.
Although known for its Islamic heritage and old bazaars, Hyderabad is also home to churches dating back to the 16th century built by Portuguese, French and British missionaries.
At the St Joseph’s cathedral in Gunfoundry, hearing-impaired children, who come to learn sign language at the church gathered to celebrate the day. The cathedral’s famed bells rang on Wednesday with a midnight mass that brought over 5,000 visitors to the adjacent All Saints School ground. Among them were believers and visitors of all faiths.
“We welcome everyone, regardless of belief. Many come just to experience the mass and explore the church,” said Alexander Vincent, a council member.
The cathedral itself is a representation of the city’s layered heritage. The bells in one of its towers were imported from Italy in the 1890s. Another set that was set to be a part of the other tower was lost during transportation as it had to be jettisoned in the ocean due to its weight. Just below the bells is a clock that was gifted by Mir Osman Ali Khan, during his visit to the midnight mass in 1953.
The visit also carries an interesting story. The Nizam along with 60 nobles attended the mass dressed in freshly tailored suits that his royal tailor, John Burton, was tasked to accomplish within six hours.
While a Muslim ruler gifted the church these important assets and a unique story, also interesting about St Joseph, is that it gets its plum cakes delivered by the Muslim-owned Subhan Bakery. “Imagine, a Muslim baking plum cakes for a Church celebrating a Christian festival that is attended by people of all communities,” remarked a visitor.
The aroma of the freshly baked plum cake that is associated with Christmas also drifted through various parts of the city.
Near the Narayanguda metro station, for example, courtesy of Master Bakers, the smell traversed till the other side of the road.
At the Centenary Methodist English Church in Abids, a sense of community defined the celebrations. The 100-year-old church welcomed people with slices of plum cake, warm wishes, and a morning service.
Sitting alone in the gathering, Abhijit Mondal, a chef who moved from Kolkata 19 years ago, said “I’ve been coming here for 18 years, especially on Christmas Day,” he said. “I come here, attend prayers, and feel a sense of belonging.”
“Jesus never taught us to become a religion, but only to love and to live peacefully. That is exactly what we do here,” said Raja Praveen, benevolence treasurer at the Centenary Methodist English Church in Abids.
Hyderabad’s Christmas spirit isn’t just found in its churches. It lives in moments like a child learning sign language at a special gathering for the hearing-impaired at St. Joseph’s, a pastor reflecting on a lifetime spent with the Methodist community, or the warmth of a Muslim bakery teaming up with a Christian congregation to celebrate the season together.