Missionaries of Charity nuns celebrated the birthday of Mother Teresa through prayers and distribution of cake among the poor. A mass was held by the Sisters at Mother House, the headquarters of Missionaries of Charity.

But unlike previous years, no outsiders were allowed to take part in the mass to mark the birthday of the order's founder as a preventive measure against Covid-19.

"Every year many people visit Mother House and pray with us on this day. This year, we decided not to allow any outsiders to participate in the mass to maintain Covid-19 restrictions," a nun said. But many people offered floral tributes through the windows.

Soon after the mass the nuns came out of the chapel and sang Happy Birthday at the tomb of Mother, like they do every year.

A cup of coffee and bread are distributed among the poor from Mother House at 7.30am everyday. On Wednesday, a piece of cake was added to the menu, the nun said.

The Catholic Association of Bengal organised a mass at St. Thomas' Church on Middleton Row to celebrate Mother's birthday.