Christmas celebrated with fanfare in Kokrajhar

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR, Dec 25: The Christian followers of Kokrajhar district, along with the rest of the world celebrated the Merry-Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ in their respective churches throughout the district today. The Churches in Kokrajhar town were seen decorated with lights.

Thousands of Catholic followers offered prayer in the Don Bosco Church here where former Agriculture and WPT&BC, minister and MLA Pramila Rani Brahma also offered prayer along with hundreds of followers.

Special prayer was offered at Don Bosco Church for peace and harmony as over 70 innocent people lost their lives in militant attack last year on the eve of Christmas in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur.

The priest of Kokrajhar Don Bosco Rev. Fr. Damian Basumatary who is also the Principal of the school administered the prayer at Don Bosco where many Nuns and Church leaders were also present.

At Kadamtola Baptist Church, the treasurer of Bodo Baptist Church Association (BBCA), Tukrajhar, bin Basumatary attended the prayer service as the chief guest. Besides, former Speaker of BTC Reo Reoa rzihary, secretary of the council Robinson Mashahahary along with hundreds of followers joined the prayer service. Meanwhile, with the Christmas bell already rung early on Thursday evening, the sales of pork meat went up like a hot cake in Christian domited areas in BTC.

The supplementary eateries during such occasions are again all homemade although confectionery items include only cakes specially made for the occasions.  People enjoyed freshly homemade ‘Chitao’, Pitha, Laru etc with tea serving as hot drinks. With the MET department predicting continuation of the cold wave for weeks, the demand this time may break old records of the sale of pork in Gossaigaon, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Udalguri during Christmas celebration. Kokorajhar town witnessed missiories only in 1990 with Rev. Fr. KV George setting up a Don Bosco School. Bodos have the largest number of tribal Christians followed by Adivasis, Garos and Rabhas, which accepted various denomitions including Roman Catholic, Baptis Church, Lutherian, Churches of Northern India, Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church and Pentecost etc.