National
Bandel Church goes green this Christmas
Kolkata, Dec 23 (IANS) Bandel Church, eastern India’s oldest church built 418 years back, has chosen to promote caring for mother earth as its Christmas theme this year, while a newly-erected 20-feet mural of “The Last Supper” would be an added attraction for the thousands of visitors who visit the Marian shrine in West Bengal’s Hooghly district.
A giant Christmas crib made of bio-degradable and environment-friendly materials, depicting the birth of Jesus, has also been erected in the church situated on the banks of river Hooghly, 40 km from Kolkata.
Another added attraction for the visitors this year would be a rare representation of Jesus as Good Shepherd juxtaposed with Mother Mary holding Jesus in one hand and a lamp in the other.
The Marian shrine is one of the oldest churches in eastern India established in 1599 by the Augustinian monks. The Bandel Church, declared a mini Basilica by Pope John Paul II, is dedicated to Nossa Senhora do Rosario — Our Lady of the Rosary.
In his Christmas message to the masses, Prior of Bandel Church, Salesian Fr. T.L. Francis stressed on “giving and sharing with a view to building a new heaven and new earth where nature is taken care of and we live in peace”.
This year the Bandel Church is expecting a record number of visitors as the Xmas eve is on a Sunday followed by Christmas on Monday. The steady flow of visitors to the Bandel Church usually continues till the New Year day.
“Each year over 100,000 visitors, cutting across religious beliefs, visit the Bandel Church during the Christmas season.
“Along with larger-than-life sized statues of popular Christian saints like Mother Mary, Mother Teresa, Don Bosco, St. Joseph, St. Augustine, St. Francis Xavier and others, there is also the life size Station of The Cross depicting 14 scenes from the final hours of Jesus’s life with 54 statues and a Christmas crib depicting the birth of Jesus,” said Father Francis.
The crib has been constructed with natural materials like bamboo, jute and moss.
The Bandel Church had in recent years restored and put on display the historical “mast” which had fallen in the storm that struck on May 9, 2010.
The Portuguese ship’s mast was a votive offering to the Church from the captain of the ship that was miraculously saved in a tempest in the Bay of Bengal in 1655. The Archeological Survey of India had declared the mast a heritage item.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.