Pomp and grandeur return to Christmas celebrations across India after Covid gap

A large number of people came out to greet each other as many visited the homes of their relatives and friends and exchanged gifts as part of the celebrations which began late on Saturday night and continued till Sunday. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)

People were seen in their winter attires as the mercury dropped, and they gathered in churches for the midnight mass. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

A giant 27-foot-long sand-and-tomato Santa Claus installation, crafted by sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik, rang in Christmas in Odisha on Sunday, as revellers flocked to the Gopalpur beach to get a glimpse of the artwork. Pattnaik claimed his creation is the world's biggest tomato and sand installation of Santa Claus, which weighs 1.5 tonnes and is 60-feet wide. Here is a picture of a sand art made in Puri. (PTI)

People, dressed up as Santa Claus, were seen greeting visitors at various malls, gardens and churches in some cities. (PTI)

After 2019, this year the festival was celebrated with great fervour across India. (PTI)

Apart from Christians, people from other communities, too, took to the streets, visiting churches. (PTI)

In Kerala, Christmas was celebrated with traditional fervour, pomp and enthusiasm with some senior bishops and priests highlighting issues like the plight of fisherfolk at Vizhinjam, the buffer zone and sectarian activities in the state, in their midnight mass. (PTI)

Meanwhile, down south, thousands of pilgrims hailing from various parts of the state participated in the services at Velankanni Church in Nagapattinam district as children and devotees carried candles and the Bible to mark the occasion. The church was decorated in a grand manner illuminated with colourful lights. (PTI)

In Bhopal, people in large numbers gathered at the Saint Francis of Assisi Cathedral Church located in Jahangirabad area, Assumption Church in Arera Colony and other churches late Saturday night for the midnight masses. (AP)

Devotees seek blessings at Holy Cross Church in Sarabha Nagar in Ludhiana on Sunday. (Express Photo by Gurmeet singh)