City wrapped in Yuletide glow as churches, streets come alive

Patna: The city soaked in the Yuletide spirit on Thursday, as beautifully adorned cathedrals and churches resonated with hymns and prayers. Braving the winter chill, thousands of devotees thronged the city’s places of worship, lighting candles, offering fervent prayers, and savouring freshly baked cakes during special Christmas mass services to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.The festivities began with the traditional midnight vigil on Wednesday, marked by the pealing of church bells and the soulful singing of carols that filled the night air. Large crowds continued to gather at churches well into the day, admiring the elaborate decorations, twinkling Christmas trees and intricate cribs vividly depicting the nativity scene – the humble birth of Christ in a manger in Bethlehem.Huge congregations were witnessed at prominent venues such as Queen of Apostles Church in Kurji, Padri Ki Haveli in Patna City, Sacred Hearts Church in Patliputra, St Mary’s Church, St John’s The Apostle Church and St Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral in Bankipore, where devotees participated in mass prayers with deep devotion. After the services, people warmly exchanged Christmas greetings, fostering a sense of community and joy.In the true spirit of the season, many offered alms to the needy, while several churches and generous individuals distributed food, clothes, and blankets to the underprivileged, embodying the message of compassion and giving. At St Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral, over 400 devotees gathered for the morning prayer service, led by the Parish Priest Fr Kuldeep. He said that the church was open to the public throughout the day. Over 5,000 people offered prayer at Kurji Church and admired the beautiful cribs and Christmas tree put up at the church premises. Many visitors clicked their pictures in the enchanting backdrop of X-Mas decorations.Beyond the churches, the festive mood enveloped the entire city. Malls, the bustling Saras Mela at Gandhi Maidan, museums, parks, Patna Zoo, hotels, restaurants or eateries, clubs, theatres, and other public hangouts were packed with revellers enjoying the holiday cheer. Families strolled through illuminated streets, children delighted in fair rides and treats, and friends gathered for celebrations, creating an atmosphere of warmth, laughter and togetherness.Major roads across Patna witnessed heavy traffic snarls as vehicles crawled through the surge of outings, reflecting the city's vibrant enthusiasm for the occasion. The air buzzed with excitement and goodwill, turning Patna into a lively tapestry of lights, music and shared happiness. Priyam Sinha, a resident of Buddha Colony, enjoyed the movie, game zone and shopping at a mall at Lodipur. “The day was completely filled with activities. We also visited the churches at Bailey Road and Ashok Rajpath. The real challenge was manoeuvring from one place to another due to heavy traffic rush,” he said.A resident of S K Puri, Vinit Agarwal, feels that there should be more hangout places because most of the places are already crowded. “The entire city was jam-packed. We have to wait half an hour to get inside the mall due to overcrowding. The people in Patna need more hangout places, especially during festive seasons like this,” he said.At several places, the traffic police had to put up the barricades to stop the commercial vehicles to decongest the road. On Ashok Rajpath, the traffic police did not allow the autos and e-rickshaws to move towards Gandhi Maidan from B N College. On the other hand, the vehicles coming from Bans Ghat towards Gandhi Maidan were also diverted to Marine Drive from Bankipore Girl’s High School.