Jingle bells echo! This Kasargod church’s joyful roadshow enthralls locals, promotes unity message
Four guests at four halts of the roadshow emphasize significance of unity during Christmas season
Manjeshwara(Paivalike): Amid Christmas merrymaking, Jingle bells resonated in the air as Christ the King Church in Kayyar village, Kasaragod, orchestrated a joyous tableau and roadshow to spread festive cheer and promote a message of unity among the locals. The roadshow, which covered areas including Paivalike, Jodukallu, Kokechal, and Kayyar, under Paivalike Panchayat limits on Saturday(Dec 23) featured guests from both the Muslim and Hindu communities, enhancing the spirit of togetherness. The events at the roadshow included a compelling portrayal of the birth of Jesus Christ and Christmas carols.
Fr. Vishal Monis, Parish Priest Christ the King Church, shared the roadshow's intent, aiming to extend happiness beyond the Christian community. “The speakers at different spots hailed from different communities, breaking the norm of intra-community events. In a mixed society, where all religious people live together it becomes necessary to spread happiness. When we are happy, that is when the Christian community celebrates, we also feel that this happiness should spread amongst other communities.”
At Paivalike, Ashraf Martya, a Kannada language teacher at the government school here, praised the church's initiative to convey a message of oneness among the locals. He commented, "Such events should be conducted to convey the message of harmony across Tulunadu. For the betterment of society, we all should follow the path of Jesus Christ, who propagated messages of spreading love and peace." Similarly, Kashnappa Pujari Derambala, Trustee of Sadashiva Temple Ambaru, stressed the importance of living peacefully irrespective of religion, caste, and creed during the second halt of the roadshow in Jodukallu.
Meanwhile in Kokechal, Mohidduin Kunhi K., Principal of Kamil School, highlighted the similarities between Christianity and Islam, urging coexistence. He stated, "Jesus Christ showed us the way of living in coexistence and spreading love. Jesus was the first to propagate the idea of loving your enemies."
At the roadshow's endpoint in Kayyar, Ashok Bhandary, a CPI(M) leader and Kudal ward Panchayat Member, emphasized, "God is one, there are different religions. Hence, fighting under the tag of religions is not correct. We all, as a society, should consider the message of Jesus Christ and spread love among each other."
Residents and attendees praised the efforts of the church authorities in organizing such events to promote understanding of different festivals. Ravi Kumar, a resident of Muligade, expressed, "India is such a diverse country; we must understand each other's festivals and celebrate together." Civil police officers on duty, Radeesh and Rakesh, commended the enthusiastic celebrations, stating that it helped them better understand the vivid culture and programs in the border district.
Simultaneously, Anil a excavator(JCB) operator in Kayyar village, who is a native of Bagalkote’s Gaddankeri, expressed that he gets homely vibes as people speak in Kannada here in a Kerala village, “Very happy to see people speak in Kannada here, we always work in the day return to our rooms in the evening that routine continues, but today we saw this unique tableau organised here, immersed ourselves into the program. Such events promoting peace should be organised everywhere.”
The program aimed at bridging communities and celebrating diversity in the spirit of Christmas was organized by the Church Parishad, CKYM (Christ King Youth Movement), and ICYM (Indian Catholic Youth Movement) under the guidance of the Parish Priest Fr. Vishal Monis.
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Heatwave scorches Odisha, Jharsuguda reels under 43.6 degrees C
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
