Bangaloreans celebrated Christmas by feasting, meeting old friends, indulging in shopping, watching movies, carolling and partying hard. Shopping lanes such as Commercial Street, MG Road, Brigade Road and malls in the City teemed with shoppers and visitors from morning till midnight on Tuesday.
The Brigade Road, decked up with decorative streetlights, set the festive mood and lit up the whole ambience.
Christmas is the time when foodies get a chance to dig into a whole array of mouth-watering dishes that range from puddings, roasted turkey, cookies and cakes. Leena Crasta, a resident of Banaswadi, said: “This is one festival which all Christians eagerly look forward to celebrate with fervour and zest. The tiny tots are more excited as they get a chance to taste their all-time favourite plum cakes and a wide variety of delectable cookies.”
Shopkeepers who have put Christmas decorative items on sale are overwhelmed with the response they are getting from customers in the last few days. Venu G, one of the vendors in Richmond Town, said: “This time, the most-sought-after Christmas items are decorative hats that flash light. While the ordinary Santa hats cost Rs 35 per piece, the decorative hats are priced at Rs 75. Apart from hats, cute Santa Claus masks and glittering stars are in huge demand.”
Special brunches
Many hotels and cafes in the City have organised special Christmas brunches till December end.
Mukesh Mukund, executive director of Olive Beach, Ashok Nagar, said: “For the past seven years, we have been offering Christmas brunches on December 25. The brunch that we arranged this time included a wide scrumptious spread of cakes, homemade sangrias, eggnogs, sparkling wines, cocktails and desserts.”
The churches in the City are packed with devotees and visitors since Monday evening. Irudayaraj, one of the priests at St Mary’s Basilica, Shivajinagar, said: “On Monday night, around 40,000 people offered prayers and took part in the Midnight Mass. On Tuesday, the Mass was held six times between 6 am and 6 pm.”
“This time, we had got a chariot readied for the Midnight Mass. Unfortunately, it caught fire and was reduced to ashes. The crib we have created will remain on display till the middle of January. Around 40 police personnel were deployed in and around the church on Monday and Tuesday.”
All in all, Christmas is both a solemn occasion and excuse to shop till you drop.
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