Bhubaneswar: With the Covid-19 guidelines in force and district administrations keeping an alert eye on large congregations, Christmas celebrations across the state remained a low key affair this year. Church leaders are celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ with hymns and carols with limited presence of people inside the Churches. Most of the Big Churches have made arrangements for online streaming of the celebrations.
In Bhubaneswar, both the Catholic Church and the Union Church remained empty in the night but people gathered to offer prayers in the morning. Church officials have made elaborate arrangements for adherence to Covid-19 guidelines.
In Kandhamal, the district administration is on high alert and all precautionary measures have been taken by the police. People largely remained in houses and the number of devotees in Churches was minimal. In Baripada, Sundergarh, Gajapati and Rayagada districts also the number of people gathering for the prayers was also minimal.