EASTER 2017

Easter is always celebrated in a very special way in our house. We stay in a locality in south of Kolkata city and we are a very tiny community of Bengali Christians living here.  However, the locality is known as “Christian Para” – the Christian Dwelling. There is a small church here, accommodating about 40 heads. It was mud walled church with tiled roof for many years, perhaps for 100 years !  Since last ten years or  so it has a doubled storied building. While the ground floor has the church, there is a community hall on the upstairs. It is located attached our house, so there is no excuse for our family to miss a Church Service !

On early morning, before the sunrise, we get up for singing the easter songs, mostly traditional folk songs. Earlier there were good numbers joining this event, but now there were not much takers for this early hour act. This year my wife woke me up to join, and, there were only we two ! Nevertheless, we went on singing till there was the sun rise, and lo behold ..... it is the Easter Day !

By 7.30 in the morning our children and grand children were all set to go for the church service. Most of them had new shining dresses for the day. The church every year is decorated with a lot of flowers. However, this year there was a new idea, of decorating the church with colourful large paper-flowers.

The church service was over after an hour. We were to proceed to our mother church located a bit far. Our grandson got Confirmation as full member, and, it is customary to receive the first Holy Communion for a new member at our mother church. We (my wife, myself, grandson and his father) took out our van and along with the Padre proceeded to the mother church. There was a good crowd at the mother church. The six new Confirmed members of the church were with white dresses and they greeted all the congregation. Around 11 in the morning the Easter Service at the mother church was over and the congregation had a get-to-gather with cake and tea.  

When we returned home, our grand children already started their easter-fun.... breaking of Easter Eggs

. My son, his wife and their little daughter  just returned the previous week from their trip to Rome and they brought two large Italian Easter Eggs. My sister’s  grand-daughter also joined us and she too brought a big easter  egg. They really had a good fun !

Around one in the afternoon we had the Easter Meal. It was a home- made fare, a typical Bengali festive  meal.  Rice,  Pea-Dhal, Fish Fry, Chicken Curry, Mango Chutney (Thin Jelly), Cucumber salad and Ice Cream.  It was a long enjoyable time spent together.

It was indeed a good memorable day.... Happy Easter !  

Confirmation of Antariksh

On Palm Sunday there was an important event in our family. Our grand son Antariksh was confrmed in the Church. It would mean he is now a full communicant member of our Church. Traditionally we are from the Weslyan Methodist tradition. In the year 1970 seven major churches agreed upon a church union and the Church of North India was formed. There was already unified church union in South India, named as Church of South India established in 1947. Weslyan Methodist became a part of the CNI and we became a part of the Calcutta Diocese of CNI. Our cathedral church is St. Paul's located at the heart of the city. 

On Palm Sunday we took Antariksh to the St. Paul's Cathedral for Confirmation Service. A large number of clergy was present. The Confirmation was administered by Bishop Ashok Biswas, by anointing oil on the forehead. Over 120 youth took the Confirmation.  

The grand structure, the ornamental alter and the galleries of the Cathedral provided the perfect solemn ambience for the occasion. 

(I was present at the formation Service of CNI in 1970 in this same very Church. I was a college student then and an active part of the SCM- Student Christian Movement. We were a group of students attending the service and for the first time allowed to occupy the front row ..... which were earlier always reserved for the special dignitaries !)

By time the service was over, it was late in the evening. Many relatives attending the church came to Antariksh and he touched their feet, as is the tradition and they all blessed him. Antariksh would take the first Holy Communion on the forthcoming Easter at our mother Church located a bit far away from our home called "Osmond Memorial Church".