Everybody loves to celebrate Christmas in Kolkata, India
My favorite Christmas photo, taken at New Market, Kolkata, India.
It came as a surprise to me that in Kolkata, India, Christmas is celebrated in such a big way. People from all walks of life, from different cultures and religions love to join the Boro Din - the big day - as Christmas is called in Bengali language.
Thousands joined the Kolkata Christmas Festival on Park Street in Central Kolkata, as you can see in my video from December 24, 2022. I didn't expect Christmas to be so important in a city where most people are Hindus and only a tiny minority are Christians.
Christianity has a long tradition in West Bengal and Kolkata
Christianity came to West Bengal in the 16th century with the Portuguese settlers. French, Danes, Dutch, Armenians and many other traders from European countries followed. The British came last and - as the legend goes - founded Kolkata from three small villages and made it the capital of British India in 1772 (until 1911). The Bible was translated into Bengali in 1809 by the English missionary William Carey.
A major attraction is St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest church in Kolkata. Completed in 1847, it was the first Anglican cathedral in Asia.
Today Kolkata is the capital of the state of West Bengal in India. There are around 80 churches and chapels of various ethnic groups and denominations in the city, including the Armenian Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. Although many upper-class Bengalis converted to Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries and Mother Teresa also worked in Kolkata, the proportion of Christians is still very low. It is only 0.88 percent compared to 76.51 percent Hindus and 20.6 percent Muslims (according to the last census from 2011). The Christian minority plays an important role when it comes to social institutions in the areas of education and health.
Queuing in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata, India
My first Christmas experience in Kolkata
My first Christmas in Kolkata on December 25, 2015 was an overwhelming experience and also a bit scary. I was stuck for hours in a crowd of thousands of people admiring the Christmas decorations on Park Street while Jingle Bell blared from the loudspeakers.
The following year, I avoided Park Street. Instead, I visited the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral on Christmas day. I was fascinated by the lush gardens where people were lighting candles, took a look at the exotic nativity scene and joined the queue to catch a glimpse of the interior. When I came out on the other side of the cathedral, people were sitting in the park in front of it – it was a relaxed and happy atmosphere.
A heartwarming midnight mass in Kolkata
The last time I was in Kolkata, I attended midnight mass at the small Catholic St. Joseph's Chapel on December 24, 2022 along with a Hindu friend who is drawn to Christianity. The chapel is located in the middle of the Muslim-dominated New Market area. The mass was heartwarming, joyful, colourful and loud. Pop Christmas songs were played. The priest kept wishing: “Happy Birthday, baby Jesus!”. Afterwards there was tea, coffee and Christmas cake in the churchyard. I went back to the hotel feeling cheerful and elated.
This is just a short report about my Christmas adventures in Kolkata. I visited many churches, neighborhoods and many different Christian communities, even outside of Kolkata - I ate many Christmas cakes - including the most famous one from the Jewish bakery Nahoum’s. Ever since my first Christmas in Kolkata, I couldn't get the subject out of my mind.
Nativity scene in St. Joseph's Chapel, New Market Kolkata
The most popular Christmas cake is from Nahoum’s, the last Jewish bakery of Kolkata. Have a look at my youtube-story about this legendary bakery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYpQLVwB5Yg
All photos and videos: Copyright Chitra-Lekha Sarkar