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Baisakhi celebrated; prayers on Good Friday

     Amritsar/Jammu/Patna/Imphal: People across the country are celebrating a variety of festivals today, including Baisakhi and Bahag Bihu. In the northern parts of the country, Baisakhi, which marks the harvest festival and the beginning of the New Year, is being celebrated with high fervour. Interestingly, it was celebrated on Thursday in some parts of the country as per the old traditions. In Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith, hundreds of devotees offered special prayers in the morning. Endless queue of devotees waited patiently to pay respects at their most sacred shrine as many others bathed in the holy pond for a dip meant to cleanse and purify their souls. Baisakhi holds special significance for the Sikhs as this day also marks the birth anniversary of the "Khalsa Panth" or the Sikh order. The Panth was established in 1699 by the tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh on Baisakhi day. "The Guru has instituted the Khalsa on this day. The faith has grown leaps and bounds based on its strong foundation. Today, the Khalsa has maintained its glory in various places across the world," said Gursewak Singh, a devotee. The festival was made an important part of the celebrations of an ongoing festival in Jammu. Colourful dance and musical performances marked the festival that was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of the State, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday. In Patna, hundreds of devotees took out elaborate processions on the occasion of Baisakhi on Thursday. In most of the northern India, Baisakhi is a harvest festival, coinciding with the ripening of Rabi or winter crop, heralding a time of great joy for farmers who thank the Gods for their bounty and seek their blessings for a successful harvest and trading.

    Christians, on the other hand, held prayers on the anniversary of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Special prayers were held at churches across the country. In Imphal, home to a vast Christian population, special masses were conducted on the occasion of the Good Friday. But perhaps the biggest celebration was organized at the Manipur Baptist Convention Church at Khongnang, in the west of the city. Hundreds of Christians belonging to thirty-three different communities, including Nagas, Kuki and Kmar attended the prayers. Priests urged the devotees to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness preached by Jesus Christ. "Let the people know the goodness of Jesus Christ who died for mankind and if people can take it and assimilate it, the world will be brought into a peaceful one," said Father Trimothy Panmei.

Kolkata's Christians observe Good Friday

     Kolkata: The Missionaries of Charity, a congregation of sisters, founded by Mother Teresa, today organised Good Friday services for Kolkata's Christian community. Those attending the services, also paid their respects to Mother Teresa, who died on September 5, 1997. Christians usually undertake a day-long fast and pray on the occasion of Good Friday. It is a day of mourning, as according to Biblical scriptures, Lord Jesus was crucified on this day. It is also said that after this day, the process of Christ's resurrection began. The origin of the term Good is not clear. Some say it is from "God's Friday" (Gottes Freitag); others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag, and not specially English. Sometimes, too, the day was called Long Friday by the Anglo-Saxons; as it is in Denmark today. "God so loved the world that he gave his only son to save us from our sins. And on Good Friday, we commemorate the day when Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us before rising again for the Easter Sunday," said Sister Christie, a nun of the Missionaries of Charity. Good Friday is followed by the Easter Sunday, the day people believe Christ was resurrected.
-April 14, 2006