This article appeared in Monday's Himalayan Times, a local newspaper!
LINGOWARE 4.4Christians celebrate Easter
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, April 11:
Christians in Kathmandu celebrated Easter here today by going to churches and participating in religious rituals. They also took out a procession around the city and concluded things with a mass gathering at Tundikhel. Nepalis and foreign nationals attended church in large numbers in various parts of the Valley. Catholic and Protestants celebrated Easter in their own way. The Catholic procession was more lavish whereas the Protestants kept things more lowkey and preferred singing hymns. Choirs sang the glory of Christ's resurrection and preachers read the Gospel in churches decorated to suit the occasion. Christians greeted each other and feasted. On Easter eve, a big candle was lighted in each church to represent Jesus. Christians also took out processions around all church premises. "Easter is a more like a week-long celebration but actually the fetsivities are held for two days. It started on Saturday with lighting candles to represents Christ and on Sunday morning different chapters of Bible were read and songs of glory were sung, recalling Christ and thanking him for saving mankind from sin," said Father Silas Bogati of the Catholic Assumption Church, Dhobighat. Dr Rajendra Rongong, an elder of the Protestant church in Gyaneswor, Kalopul, said, "We came to church early morning, sang in the choir to honour this holy day." Dinesh Neupane, deacon of the Protestant church in Gyaneswor, said, "There are more than 3,500 regular visitors to our church and they come here for prayers, it is a great day for us Christians as lord Jesus arose from death for humankind." Neupane added celebration programmes are being organised among local and foreign Christians at Gyaneswor church.