Unique Christmas celebration of Bengali Christians in the eastern fringes of Kolkata
It is the evening of Christmas day hundreds of people walk beneath a canopy of fancy lights past makeshift decorations depicting nativity scenes along with giant Christmas trees and Santa Clause models.
Illuminated spire of the Emanuel Church, Kestopur
This is no Park Street nor is it Bow Barracks but this is Kestopur, probably the most unlikely palace for Christmas celebration in Kolkata. But unknown to many the neighborhood in the eastern fringes of Kolkata does have a significant Christian population and even have localities with names Christianpara and Mission Bazzar.
Bilingual (Bengali & English) board depicting the history of Emanuel Church, Kestopur
The Christian history of Kestopur dates back to over two centuries and was result of a violent storm (Nor’wester) dating back to the mid-April 1806. The violent nor’wester had a devastating effect and a total of 47 mercantile ships were affected. Out of 47 only 5 survived the deadly storm and were pushed to the mouth of the River Vidyadhari.
Illuminated interiors of Emanuel Church, Kestopur
The 5 ships belonged to Dutch, Portuguese and English merchants. The surviving ships were heavily damaged and their brave survivors made a landing in the area near present day Kestopur.
With the help of locals they built temporary shelters to protect them from the surrounding wildlife. In the meantime a love affair developed between a local 18 year Hindu Brahmin boy named Narpit Singh and a Catherine, a 14 year old Portuguese girl.
They fled and travelled all the way to Benaras and started living as husband and wife. They returned in 1818 and started preaching the gospel among the locals. Soon the Emmanuel Church was established and it was opened to public on 26 February 1829.
Nativity scenes and other decorations inside the Emmanuel Church compound
The Emmanuel Church still stands although its age old building has been replaced with a modern structure. Today it is an active Protestant church under Churches of North India (CNI). Kestopur also houses a Roman Catholic Church known as Holy Family Church. Here too the two century old structure has been replaced with a new one. The third church of the region belonging to the Assembly of God Church. Apart from the three churches there are several private places of Christian worship.
Devotees light candles in the Emanuel Church complex
With the real estate boom the increase of population in Kestopur have lead to an increase in church members. The century old churches were too small to accommodate them and here forced to replace them with large modern buildings. Today apart from the regular Sunday service in Bengali the churches have introduced English service. This is done mainly to cater to the non-Bengali Christians working in the IT hub and settled in Kestopur region.
Auction of chicken at Emanuel Church, Kestopur
It is the Christmas time when the entire neighborhood get involves in the celebration spanning over a month.
The celebrations include a strange auction that happens at the Emmanuel Church. The auction has a historical root and has a harvest festival connect.
Once Kestopur area was a agricultural hub and during that time members used to bring in freshly harvested paddy from their fields.
In came vegetables from the fields and fresh catch of fishes from the nearby bharis. Church members brought them to the church for auction and money collected went to the church fund.
Grottos and other illuminated decoration in Kestopur roadside
Today the auction still happens usually on the second Sunday of December. Since the agriculture fields have long been replaced by box like apartments the vegetables and fishes no longer comes fresh from field and the bheris. There is still an element of fun with live poultry being auctioned along with Joynogor’er Moya.
A illuminated crucified Jesus statue, Kestopur
The mid night mass on Christmas Eve also have local element of with Jishu Kirtan being sung with musical instruments like khol, kartal and khanjani.
The morning mass on the Christmas also has its share of Bengali songs which are usually accompanied with a harmonium.
The evenings are festive times with the entire local population joining in the celebration. The existing grottos are decorated and light up. Installations are put up to depict the birth of Christ. One of the installations called Matri Dham (temple of mother) had a girl posing as mother Mary sitting in front of a model of newly born Christ. Next to her a boy posed as a guard dressed in turban and carrying a spear. His attire had more resemblance to a lathial of a Bengal zamindar than a guard in far away Bethelem.
There are several of these makeshift models all through the locality and people, irrespective of religion, stop in front of them to light candles and incense stick and ritual is finally completed with clicking of selfies and groupfies.
Special thanks:
- Sudipendra Mondal a resident of Kestopur and member of Emanuel Church
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