A video of Hindus performing and dancing to the tune of ‘Hare Ram, Hare Krishna’ near a cathedral in Lucknow on Christmas has the internet divided. While some saw it as an “unnecessary” act to spread hatred and an attempt to provoke religious friction, others saw it as an opportunity to showcase communal brotherhood.
The video is said to have been shot near the St Joseph Cathedral in Hazratganj.
The ‘devotees’ performing ‘keertans‘ were also raising slogans of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Jai Shri Krishna’. When asked about the need to raise such slogans on a day when the world was celebrating Christmas, a ‘devotee’ told Dainik Bhaskar: “Everyone is the child of God and Jesus. If we chant Krishna’s name, Jesus will be pleased… He [Jesus] says ‘I am the son of God’. Then he was asked ‘who is the father’? Krishna is the father… When Jesus came to Earth, he delivered the message ‘Thou shalt not kill’. He wanted us to live in peace.”
That happened outside the Cathedral in Hazratganj, Lucknow on December 25, 2024. https://t.co/MIrnAg8iEN pic.twitter.com/HZyBG2QPDq
— Arvind Chauhan, very allergic to ‘ya ya’ (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) December 26, 2024
Some social media users pointed out that the devotees were celebrating ‘Tulsi Diwas’. However, this was no way to celebrate the occasion. “Celebrating tulsi diwas near Cathedral, Hazratganj. Don’t they have their own places of worship? Why is it that their bhakti shows up infront of masjid or a church [sic],” said an X user identifying as MrsG.
“Does Tulsi Diwas really need to be celebrated outside the church, or can we keep it indoors,” said another user.
That happened outside the Cathedral in Hazratganj, Lucknow on December 25, 2024. https://t.co/MIrnAg8iEN pic.twitter.com/HZyBG2QPDq
— Arvind Chauhan, very allergic to ‘ya ya’ (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) December 26, 2024
“Interrupting Christmas prayers in Lucknow is yet another low for these andhbhakts. Their actions reflect neither patriotism nor culture but a deep-seated inferiority complex and a desperate need to bully the powerless. This kind of intolerance is not what India stands for. These people are dragging the nation’s name through the mud, turning a land of unity and diversity into a global example of hate and division. Shameful and un-Indian,” said a user named ‘Kumar’.
Tulsi Diwas is celebrated every year on the Dashami Tithi of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Paush. It’s celebrated to honour Tulsi Devi and Lord Vishnu.
