Hyderabad: On All Souls' Day, this Saturday, Christians offered flowers and lit candles at graveyards and remembered the good times they had with their departed ones. With this, they also introduced the younger generation to their forebears.
The day was filled with nostalgia. Special mass was held at several places, and elders are remembered. Cardinal Poola Anthony delivered the message of All Souls' Day at Bhoiguda cemetery.
Stalls of flowers and candles mushroomed near cemeteries across the city and had crisp sales as the day fell on the weekend. Ammuguda Graveyards at Yapral is more than 300 years old, according to Job Sunder Raj, an ex-serviceman. “Here, we have our grandparents, parents and in-laws. On this day, we get a chance to meet all our family and relatives.”
The Roman Catholic graveyard at Gun Rock, Trimulgherry, saw visitors from the morning on Saturday. Derrick Richard, a resident of Trimulgherry, said, “This is an important day, some people do charity on this day.”
Father Dr Swarna Bernard, parish priest at St Patrick’s Church, Mornington Road, Trimulgherry, said, “This is also the purification of souls, as the day symbolises the fact that someday each one will have to reach this place. This is also a call for people to lead a good life.”
“One day, we have to leave everything and go. Only good deeds will follow us,” Father Dr Bernard said.
