People at a Christmas service in Shillong on Thursday. Picture by UB Photos

Shillong, Dec. 25: From midnight Mass to offering of prayers during the day, besides exchanging gifts and greetings to visiting homes, Christmas was celebrated across Meghalaya today.

Apart from Christians, the occasion was also celebrated at the Ramakrishna Mission, Laitumkhrah with gaiety and joy where a narrative as to how Christmas eve became part of the mission’s history was presented.

Since morning, priests and pastors presided over prayer services in various churches, attended by a healthy congregation. The churches, which were decorated and lit up, also reverberated with the sound of music and hymns. The resonance of crackers was also heard from various localities soon after midnight as a gesture to usher in the joyous occasion.

However, Christmas was not confined to Christians alone as even those belonging to other denominations chose to be a part of the celebrations by extending their greetings and wishes.

In his message, Archbishop Dominic Jala of the Shillong Archdiocese, said, “We as Christians have celebrated the feast of peace and joy brought by the coming of God among us in Lord Jesus Christ. But this feast has been marred by the violent incidents that have taken the lives of innocent people. We are shocked by these cruel events. We keep praying for peace and harmony among all.”

The merciless killing of more than 70 people, including women and children, in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts of Assam on Tuesday night by suspected members of an armed outfit has sent shock waves across the region, especially in those pockets where militancy has refused to die down.

Extending warm wishes, Governor Krishan Kant Paul said, “On the happy and joyous occasion, I wish the people of Meghalaya a merry Christmas and hope that the spirit and warmth of Christmas will bestow enduring peace, brotherhood, prosperity and happiness in the life of every citizen of the state.”

Like in previous years, Ramakrishna Mission brought alive the story of Jesus Christ in words by Swami Purnanandaji Maharaj, the chief speaker for the occasion, who came from Belur Math near Calcutta.

Swami Achyuteshananda, secretary of Ramakrishna Mission, Shillong, presented the narrative, highlighting how Christmas eve became embedded in the history of the mission.

“In the middle of December, Babu Ram’s (later Swami Premananda, a monk of Swami Vivekananda) mother, Matangini Devi, invited the young monks to visit her native village, Antpur, during the Christmas vacation. In the calm of the village, the spiritual fire in the young monks blazed up into a conflagration. Narendra’s (later Swami Vivekananda) enthusiasm fanned the flames,” Swami Achyuteshananda recalled.

In the still hours, Swami Achyuteshananda said, “subtle things were happening, knitting the brothers (monks) together”. He also said at the village, Narendra began to tell the story of Jesus, beginning with the “mystery of his birth, through to his death and resurrection”.

With his eloquence,Swami Achyuteshananda said the brother-disciples could catch something of the apostolic fervour that had impelled Paul to spread the Christian gospel far and wide in the face of adversities.

“Standing before the sacred fire, their faces lit up by the flames, the crackling of the wood, the sole disturbing sound, they took the vows of renunciation before God and one another. The air was vibrant with their ecstatic fervour. Strangely, the monks discovered afterwards that all this had happened on Christmas Eve,” he added.

In later years, Swami Shivananda (Taraknath), one of the brother disciples and president of the order, said, “As a matter of fact, our resolve to become organised became firm at Antpur. The master had already made us sanyasis. That attitude was strengthened at Antpur.”

In his message through Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to reach out to the world on Christmas Day. “Merry Christmas to everyone around the world. May this day enhance the spirit of harmony, peace and brotherhood in society,” Modi said.

Indeed, harmony and peace are indispensable for a state like Meghalaya, which has seen much bloodshed in some pockets due to the terror unleashed by “militant outfits”.

However, in the spirit of goodwill, December also witnessed the disbanding of two armed militant groups – ANVC and the ANVC (B) – in the Garo hills. Whether this was a watershed moment for Meghalaya, particularly the strife-torn Garo Hills, remains to be seen.