Odisha celebrates with religious fervour

In Kandhamal, Christmas services in different Churches were performed with much pomp and gaiety with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.People stepped into churches for the first time in nearly nine months at Phulbani, G.Udayagiri, Balliguda, Raikia, Daringbadi, Kotagarh and Bamunigam.

Christmas was celebrated with religious fervour in different parts of Odisha, including the districts of Gajapati, Kandhamal and Sundergarh that have a significant Christian population. Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik greeted the people on the occasion.

Churches allowed people to offer prayers in small batches, even as many chose to perform the rituals through the virtual mode from home. In state capital Bhubaneswar, the usual Christmas crowd was missing at the churches. The Catholics at St.

Vincent's Pro-Cathedral in the Satya Nagar area observed mass prayers with limited worshipers. In Kandhamal, Christmas services in different Churches were performed with much pomp and gaiety with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.

People stepped into churches for the first time in nearly nine months at Phulbani, G.Udayagiri, Balliguda, Raikia, Daringbadi, Kotagarh and Bamunigam. In many churches, the Christmas services were conducted online, said Reverent Dillip Kumar Bala, the Bishop of G.Udayagiri.

No report of any untoward incident was received and the day was celebrated peacefully, police said..