Hyderabad: Christmas is celebrated to mark the birth of Jesus Christ. Carol singing, dazzling Christmas lights and decked-up Christmas trees entice folks to join the celebrations on December 25. Many parts of India come alive with the festive spirit of Christmas. As Christmas draws near, churches in different parts are being decorated for the festivity. Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic Church in Delhi is decorated ahead of Christmas. People visited the church in large numbers on Sunday to offer prayers on Christmas eve. Several streets in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, Rajasthan's Alwar and Shillong in Meghalaya are decorated and lit up ahead of Christmas.
The city of Prayagraj has an air of celebration and good cheer. People rushed to the markets in search of dazzling stars, Christmas trees, LED lights and other decorative items. Residents of Prayagraj were seen crowding at the local markets to purchase gifts and Christmas decorations.
In Rajasthan's Alwar, besides the traditional Santa costumes, hats, gift boxes and teddy bear masks. The work of decorating the 137-year-old Centre Andrew Church located on Church Road in the city has also been completed. According to church officials, on Christmas day, people from across communities come to the church to offer prayers and light candles.
Tourists rushed to the hill station of Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh to celebrate Christmas and New Year's eve. Many tourists though enjoying their time here, have been missing the snowfall. Meanwhile, tourists and local people have been facing problems due to the traffic jams in Manali.
Speaking to the media, Jeetendra, a tourist from Delhi, said, "We were hoping had there been snowfall we would have been able to enjoy even more. We are enjoying a lot." With the influx of tourists, local hoteliers and shopkeepers are happy with the increase in their business. Meanwhile, a shopkeeper in Dalhousie said, "With the inflow of tourists on New Year and Christmas eve we are recovering from the slump of the last three to four months. Hotel bookings are good and even the restaurants are witnessing an increase in customers." (With Agency Inputs)
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