The Catholics in Allahabad shared the joy of the Birth of Jesus,Christmas, by organizing a three-day long Christmas Mela in the St. JosephCollege grounds yesterday afternoon. The Mela was inaugurated by Most. Rev.Isidore Fernandes, Bishop of Allahabad. The Christmas Mela-2012 was organizedby the Catholic Diocese of Allahabad under the guidance of this Bishop. Rev.Fr. Louis Mascarenhas, Principal of St. Joseph's College and Rev. Fr. J.B.Castelino shouldered the responsibility of convening the Christmas Mela whichwill last for three days till the 27^th from 2 to 8 pm daily. People flocked towards theMela grounds in thousands and enjoyed every item of the Mela. Everyone was seenwith lots of gusto and enthusiasm.

The people of different faiths came together to celebrateChristmas. They visited St. Joseph's Cathedral and prayed for blessings ontheir families. The parents brought their children along to spend their winter vacation fruitfully. The people not only enjoyed different recipes but also participated in different games. The children spent most of their time on giantwheels, dragon wheels, disco wheels and on the back of camels. Children enjoyedthe dance of the Santa Claus, placed at the entrance of St. Joseph's College.Everyone paid homage to the New Born Jesus found in the crib at the entrance ofthe Mela grounds. The place which attracted the most crowd was the BibleExhibition which was depicted colourfully to show the life and message ofChrist.

There were beautiful cultural programmes at the Mela. All the programmes brought out the life and teachings of Christ. Rt. Rev. Isidore Fernandes, the Bishop gave a thought provoking Christmas Message and invited everyone to stand for justice and peace in the society.

The cultural committee headed by Rev. Fr. Vincent Pereira presented various dances, group songs and skits with the help of Maria Sadan,Nazareth Hospital, Snehashray, St. Mary's College, St. Mary's Convent, St.Antony's School and College, St. Xavier's Minor Seminary and Bethany School.The magic show by Ravinder Kumar added entertainment to the programme. Hesensitized the people regarding the hazards of tobacco in life. He suggested various ways to prevent cancer. The laughter show by Irfan Jafree amused the crowd.