Dec 24

Dec 24 Santa Claus in Bangalore

Santa Clause in Bangalore. Photos: Ravi Rao (C)

December 24, 2023

By A. Ravi Rao*

Last evening, while on a short visit to India, I joined in a secular celebration of the true spirit of Christmas.

The evening’s entertainment included a short reenactment of the birth of Jesus, accompanied by a visit of the three wise men. This was followed by several popular Christmas carols, including Jingle Bells and Feliz Navidad.

Children, from grades One and up, rehearsed for many days to perform the short skits, songs, and dances. Parents and older relatives also performed – including singing Jingle Bells.

There was a visit from Santa Claus, which was eagerly awaited by the children. Santa though was being transported in a Maruti car instead of a sleigh drawn by reindeer!

There were about fifty performers and more than two hundred in the audience, including relatives, and friends. People from all age groups, from young children to adults, were in the audience.

The joy and fun had by the children was infectious.

Several volunteers, who are accomplished dancers and musicians, organized the Christmas celebrations. It was held at the Raheja Residency, in Koramangala, Bangalore. This is a large condominium complex with eight buildings, where about 500 families reside.

Many of the apartments are occupied by three generations of a family - children, parents and grandparents - living together. This form of living, which is common in India, is unlike in the United States where many grandparents reside in senior homes.

While most of the families living in the Bangalore complex are Hindus, like mine, there are also a few Christians. The neighbors gather to celebrate all religious festivals as well as national holidays like Republic Day and Independence Day.

While I live in suburban New York, I am currently visiting my mother in Bangalore. Last evening, I was happy to be transported back to my own childhood in Pune, India, during the 1960s, when neighbors from all religions joined in to celebrate Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Id, and the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi.