Yuletide spirit, festivities spread across Karnataka on Christmas

Bengaluru, Dec 25: Thousands of devout Catholics and Anglo-Indians on Tuesday celebrated Christmas with prayers and carols in churches across Karnataka to mark the birth of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago.

Churches across the southern state were seen ringing in the festival with midnight masses and biblical hymns, and were lit up with Christmas trees, lanterns, stars and colourful lights.

Hundreds of homes, streets, shopping malls and public buildings across the state capital were also decked up for the fest.

Santa Clauses were seen giving away sweets and gifts to children at churches and malls.

Several schools and colleges celebrated the festival with students dressed as Santa Claus taking part in folk plays. A majority of public offices and banks remained closed on account of the festival.

Hundreds from the state capital attended the midnight mass on the night of Christmas Eve (on Monday night) held by the Archbishop of Bengaluru Peter Machado.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy wished the state a Christmas filled with peace and harmony.

"Let us imbibe the qualities of love, peace and harmony in life as Jesus Christ preached," Kumaraswamy said in a statement.

Bengaluru is home to an estimated 500,000 Christians out of its total population of 10 million. Of the 6.5-crore Karnataka population, 1.9 per cent (about 12 lakh) are Christians.