INDIAN CHRISTMAS AN ANTHOLOGY

DeScriPtion

Few countries celebrate religious and cultural festivals with greater passion, imagination

and joy than India. And among the many festivals of this gloriously diverse, multicultural

nation is Christmas-the night that Jesus came to earth, bringing with him the allembracing 'fragrance of Love'. The Christian communities of India celebrate the birth

of Christ with food, music, lights, prayer, family gatherings, charity and other age-old

traditions, some of which have evolved over almost two millennia. And for centuries,

other communities have also participated in the celebration of this Indian festival-its

cheer and spirit of love as resilient, even in times of division, as India itself.

This anthology captures the distinctive magic of Christmas in India. Edited and with

introductions by two of India's finest writers, Jerry Pinto and Madhulika Liddle, it is a

splendid collection of essays, images, poems and hymns-both in English and translated

from India's other languages-which showcase the variety of Christmas celebrations

across the country.

Damodar Mauzo, Vivek Menezes, Easterine Kire, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Elizabeth

Kuruvilla, Jane Borges and Mary Sushma Kindo, among others, write about Christmas

traditions and celebrations in Goa, Nagaland, Kerala, Delhi, Ranchi, Kolkata, Mumbai,

Shillong and rural Jharkhand. Arul Cellaturai writes tender poems in the Pillaitamil

tradition to the moon about Baby Jesus, and Punjabi singers compose tappe-boliyan about

Mary and her infant. There are Mughal miniatures depicting the birth of Jesus, and paintings

by Jyoti Sahi and Sister Marie Claire inspired by folk art. And photographers from near and

far capture images of Christmas time in Aizawl, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi.

Charming family traditions, 'chutnified' Christmas lunches and dinners, quintessentially

Indian versions of Christmas decorations and rituals-all find a place in the pages

of Indian Christmas, a first-of-its-kind collection that pays tribute to a great Indian festival.

It is a unique and beautiful book to possess and to gift.