Thousands visit churches, make merry in Christmas-decked city

Revellers gathered at the revered St Paul's Cathedral here on Tuesday to light candles and sing carols, and crowded the decked-up Park Street area to soak in the festivities on Christmas.

Other churches in the city and adjoining districts like the 419-year-old Bandel Church and the Sacred Heart Church, also witnessed a large turnout of people of all communities since the midnight mass.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the midnight mass at St Paul's Cathedral, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1839 and the building completed in 1847.

The state-sponsored 'Christmas Festival' at Park Street drew a massive crowd, as merrymakers of all ages took selfies before dazzling illuminations of Santa Claus and his rein deer, and a giant Christmas Tree in the nearby Allen Park.

Meanwhile, security personnel kept vigil from several watch towers, especially erected for the occasion.

Food stalls offering cuisines from across the country filled roads along Free School Street, Park Street Post Office and Allen Park, while the city's iconic eateries were also packed to capacity, with long queues outside.

Many restaurants in the city added traditional delicacies like roasted turkey and Christmas pudding to their menu for the festive period.

Celebrations were also on in full swing at the brightly-lit Bow Barracks -- the hub of Anglo-Indians in central Kolkata -- soaking in the Yuletide spirit with home-brewed wine and the customary plum cake.

Revellers crowded popular tourist spots of the city like the Alipore Zoological Gardens, Indian Museum and the Victoria Memorial.

The Tourism-department organised 'Christmas Festival' was held in seven other places of the state -- Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Jalpaiguri, Bandel, Chandannagar and Krishnanagar -- for the first time.