Street Carols Lift Hyderabad Christmas Mood
Another group of youngsters, called Joy Mission, organised music, puppet shows and theatre plays, and they were highly appreciated for its carol singing along the Tank Bund.
Hyderabad: As Christmas gets closer, carol rounds, street singing and community participation have enhanced festive moods in Hyderabad. Churches and singing groups this year chose common public places with heavy footfall, where they gathered to sing Christmas carols.
Members of Eden Garden Church, Uppal, organised street carol celebrations across several parts of Hyderabad as part of the Christmas season.
According to Swaroop Victory, “A group of around 35 members participated in the initiative, covering areas such as Uppal, Secunderabad, Tank Bund, DSL Mall, MJR Mall and nearby localities. People from different age groups, ranging from four to sixty years, took part in the celebrations. Passers-by stopped and sang along with us during the events.”
Aruna, one of the participants, said there was a warm response from the public. “Residents in many places paused to listen to the carols, joined in singing and dancing, and interacted with the team. A few people also requested prayers, making the event meaningful and engaging for those present,” she said.
Another group of youngsters, called Joy Mission, organised music, puppet shows and theatre plays, and they were highly appreciated for its carol singing along the Tank Bund.
James Joy, a founder member of the group, said, “From December 1 to December 23, we gathered at different locations along the Tank Bund and rendered carols. Several enthusiasts contacted us after seeing our posts on social media and joined us. Mostly, youth connect with us, and many come to us with issues related to addiction and mental depression.”
At Our Lady Shrine in Lalguda, Christian families organised Christmas celebrations on the same street, inviting all residents of the locality to participate. According to Rahul Emmanuel Rajan, the event saw Santa Claus distributing gifts to children.
Christian leader Goneh Solomon Raj said that such events were held smoothly this year. “Several outdoor Christmas-related events took place as the state government gave blanket permission for carol rounds, street carols and carnivals. This support from the Director General of Police encouraged several denominations as well as individual groups to come forward and organise celebrations,” he said.