BackChristmas in Old Delhi
A church that holds mass in Urdu, and will have a 'qawwali' session to celebrate Christmas
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In the heart of Delhi’s Walled City, known more for the architectural masterpieces of the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort and the gastronomic promise of legendary eateries such as Karim’s, one church is preparing to celebrate Christmas a little differently.
The Central Baptist Church is usually lost in the bustle of the Chandni Chowk main road. Just opposite Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and very close to the Gauri-Shankar Temple, it’s one of the oldest in north India. “It is also the first Urdu church in India," says Ajay Sobers Peter, assistant pastor at the church. In other words, the prayers are in Urdu.
“After the Mughals, the churches that were made conducted prayers mostly in English. However, this was an Urdu church and has remained so. We have our prayers in Hindi, English and Urdu," he says.
“This is how diversely we celebrate our festival too. For instance, this time we have called the qawwals from Meerut, who will perform at the church tonight at 8.30pm," says E. Messy, senior Urdu pastor, who has been with the church for several decades.
Among those who will attend is 21-year-old Sneha Dutta, whose family converted to Christianity some years ago. The BCom honours student at the University of Delhi has already made a few trips to Sadar Bazar to buy decorative pieces and a Christmas tree for her house. “That’s the advantage of living in Old Delhi. You can buy dry fruits and stuff for plum cakes from Khari Baoli, crackers from Jama Masjid, and decorative items from Sadar Bazar," says Dutta.
This cultural amalgamation is nothing new in the Walled City. Old Delhi, in fact, has numerous temples, mosques and churches. The list of churches includes the Christ Methodist Church at Sabzi Mandi, St James Church at Kashmere Gate, St Mary Church at Red Fort, St Anthonys Church at Paharganj, the Baptist Church at Idgah and the Holy Trinity Church at Turkman Gate.
“There must be around 15,000 (Christian) families only in all of Old Delhi. Even the Christian basti in Daryaganj was sold out recently as more and more Christians want to move to better areas, which are less congested than Old Delhi," says Lawrence Shukla, a member of the pastor committee of St Stephen’s Church.
This church, which stands on Church Mission Road in the Walled City, very close to the Mughal-era Fatehpuri Masjid, has distinctive red walls, rose-colour stained-glass windows and Gothic architecture, but tends to go unnoticed amid the street vendors, rickshaws and sea of people. Not, however, during the Christmas season.
Manasseh Luke, 29, who has been living with his family in the compound of St Stephen’s Church since childhood, is looking forward to the celebrations. “In fact, you know it is Christmas when the sound of the morning azaan from the masjid is mixed with Christmas carols and of course, the bells from the temple nearby. In a way it summarizes how Christmas, or any festival, is celebrated in Old Delhi," says Luke, who is studying theology from Bishop’s College, Kolkata, and is home for the festival. “The number of Christian families that live in this area is few, so most of my friends are non-Christians and we celebrate each others’ festivals," he adds.
For people like Dutta and Luke, then, the numbers hardly matter. “The essence of being a Christian in Old Delhi is that you have to have friends from other religions. That barrier is dissolved. I have already decided I’ll wear an anarkali suit during the qawwali,"says Dutta.
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