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Few countries celebrate religious and cultural festivals with greater passion, imagination
and joy than India. And among the many festivals of this gloriously diverse, multicultural
nation is Christmas-the night that Jesus came to earth, bringing with him the allembracing 'fragrance of Love'. The Christian communities of India celebrate the birth
of Christ with food, music, lights, prayer, family gatherings, charity and other age-old
traditions, some of which have evolved over almost two millennia. And for centuries,
other communities have also participated in the celebration of this Indian festival-its
cheer and spirit of love as resilient, even in times of division, as India itself.
This anthology captures the distinctive magic of Christmas in India. Edited and with
introductions by two of India's finest writers, Jerry Pinto and Madhulika Liddle, it is a
splendid collection of essays, images, poems and hymns-both in English and translated
from India's other languages-which showcase the variety of Christmas celebrations
across the country.
Damodar Mauzo, Vivek Menezes, Easterine Kire, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Elizabeth
Kuruvilla, Jane Borges and Mary Sushma Kindo, among others, write about Christmas
traditions and celebrations in Goa, Nagaland, Kerala, Delhi, Ranchi, Kolkata, Mumbai,
Shillong and rural Jharkhand. Arul Cellaturai writes tender poems in the Pillaitamil
tradition to the moon about Baby Jesus, and Punjabi singers compose tappe-boliyan about
Mary and her infant. There are Mughal miniatures depicting the birth of Jesus, and paintings
by Jyoti Sahi and Sister Marie Claire inspired by folk art. And photographers from near and
far capture images of Christmas time in Aizawl, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi.
Charming family traditions, 'chutnified' Christmas lunches and dinners, quintessentially
Indian versions of Christmas decorations and rituals-all find a place in the pages
of Indian Christmas, a first-of-its-kind collection that pays tribute to a great Indian festival.
It is a unique and beautiful book to possess and to gift.
