Coronavirus Effect: Christmas carols go online

Hyderabad: "Carols!" everyone's favourite carols performance for the Christmas may not be available in all the churches across the Hyderabad city due to Covid-19 norms, but luckily it is being made available online for the revellers.

Given the pandemic situation, a few groups are performing carols at their homes and others are planning at churches which have a huge space and can maintain social distancing. But the live carols seem to be hard to experience with physical distancing this around. "This year we have planned mass carols. Around ten friends are visiting 6 to 7 houses. Wearing masks and observing social distancing, we are performing carols," said Neha Sharon, a resident of Himayathnagar.

Unlike every year, Christmas may be celebrated on a very low key this year because of the Coronavirus restrictions and denizens of Hyderabad are preferring to celebrate it online. Covid pandemic taken away the charm and churches are no more crowded and even Sunday mass is restricted. Carols are permitted only at a few churches and most of the churches have cancelled the carols. But, there is hope for the Christian devout to attend the prayers online.

"This year God has planned different things for us, everything has gone online. We have formed a group on WhatsApp from our community and every day we are singing carols online and many people participating in them through zoom," said Jason Robert, a resident of Sitaphalmandi.

Pastors say that this year carols have been cancelled, and Sunday mass programmes are also being restricted or cancelled. "Every year during Christmas, people used to rush to our churches, but this year everything has come online, which also includes prayer services, carols, Sunday mass and also the blessings," says Pastor C M Mamamen, St John Mariavianney Church in Boiguda.

Pastor Robert from Holy Family Church in Macchhabollaram says, "The celebrations are on low key; people are restricting themselves to come out and attend prayers as we are dealing with dangerous coronavirus.

However, everything has come online and that's how we are upgraded to a new normal."

Sharing her blues on the restrictions for carols, Nirmala, a resident of Secunderabad, another Carole singer, says "With so many restrictions on gatherings, citizens are forced to stay indoors. Hence, we have decided to sing carols online, unlike in the past when we would visit every house to sing carols. This year everything has come up online, we are singing online."