Street Carols Lift Hyderabad Christmas Mood
Hyderabad: As Christmas approaches, carols, street songs and community participation have added to the festive mood in Hyderabad. This year, churches and caroling groups have chosen common public places with heavy foot traffic where they gather to sing Christmas carols.
Members of Eden Garden Church in Uppal organized street caroling celebrations in various parts of Hyderabad as part of the Christmas season.
According to Swaroop Victory, “A group of around 35 members participated in the initiative, which covered Uppal, Secunderabad, Tank Bund, DSL Mall, MJR Mall and nearby areas. People of different age groups, ranging from four to sixty years old, participated in the celebrations. During the events, passersby stopped and sang along with us.”
Aruna, one of the participants, said there was a warm response from the public. “In many locations, residents stopped to listen to hymns, participate in singing and dancing, and interact with the team. Several people also asked for prayers, making the event meaningful and engaging for those present,” he said.
Another group of young people called Joy Mission organized music, puppet shows and theater plays and received great acclaim with the hymns they sang along the Tank Bund.
James Joy, one of the founding members of the group, said, “From December 1st to December 23rd, we gathered and chanted at different points of Tank Bund. Many enthusiasts who saw our posts on social media contacted us and joined us. Mostly young people connect with us and many come to us with problems related to addiction and mental depression.”
At Our Lady Shrine in Lalguda, Christian families organized Christmas celebrations on the same street, inviting all residents of the area to participate. According to Rahul Emmanuel Rajan, Santa Claus was seen distributing gifts to children at the event.
Christian leader Goneh Solomon Raj said such events took place smoothly this year. “Several Christmas-related outdoor activities took place due to the state government granting general permission for carols, street carols and carnivals. This support from the Director General of Police encouraged many sects as well as individual groups to come forward and organize celebrations,” he said.
