Details
“Mumbai gets public Christmas ‘Crib building’ contest, just like Dahi Handi, Ganesh Chaturti!”
01-Jul-2019
”
By KHL News Bureau
The crib building creativity of Mumbai’s Christian community will be assessed by the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) this year in through a public contest. The MGP, that expects 300 entries from Mumbai, has also reached out to churches across India, to elicit entries of their respective displays of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that are creatively erected within church premises only.
Gleason Barretto, the founder trustee of the MGP says, “In Mumbai we estimate at least 1000 outdoor cribs will be on public display erected by local parishioners of churches during the ensuing Christmas season. There are around 120 churches in the Mumbai region, each of which, would boast of five to ten outdoor cribs in their immediate vicinity.”
Barretto added that the first ever edition of such an Outdoor Crib Competition for Mumbai is being organized in the second year of the Mega Christmas Festival themed – Sarvajanik Krist Janmotsav 2018 – that has been dedicated to eminent freedom fighter Kaka Baptista, who belonged to the local East Indian community. Kaka Baptista was active during the Indian freedom struggle and coordinated his efforts along with Lokmanya Tilak.
The MGP appears to have taken a leaf out of Tilak’s initiative of holding the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav in Mumbai city to effectively mobilize congregations of people (against the British rule) for immersion of the idols of Hindu god Ganesha during the Indian freedom movement.
BJP MLA Krishan Hegde, and his non-governmental organisation (NGO) – the Krishna Hegde Prathisthan (PHP) – has joined forces with the MGP for the public crib building contest. Hegde says, “Prizes will be handed over to the top three outdoor cribs from across Mumbai’s length and breadth. A budget of Rs one lakh has been earmarked for the contest and the top three entries will be awarded Rs 11, 000, Rs 7500 and rs 5000 besides certificates being issued for participation.”
Barretto adds, “Two pictures of their cribs as well as contact details will have to be submitted before 12 midnight on December 31, 2018. There will be no cash prizes for the Pan India entries of cribs displayed at various church premises, but hope to grow to larger proportions in the coming years as the interest, participation and sponsorship levels develop. There would be trophies and participation certificates issued to the entries from the all India level. In Mumbai there will be around 20 entries that will be shortlisted by the panel of judges from MGP that will finalize the winners.”
He said there would be special prizes for interestingly themed displays, which not only maintain the basic integrity and decorum of the infant Jesus, his mother Mary and father Joseph (how the crib is laid out) but also creatively put out socially relevant messages for the public at large. In addition to this, special prizes would be given out for overall creativity as and the best displays of precision artwork and symbols like the Christmas ‘Star’.
Hedge noted that the thought for the outdoor crib contest was the brainchild of the new head of the BJP’s Minorities Department, Alexander D’Souza. “We will put up over 100 banners announcing the Outdoor Crib contest strategically across Mumbai city (after duly taking civic permission for the same). The online entries would be invited over the email ID – [email protected] till December 31, 2018. We want this contest to become a larger and bigger event over the years just like the Dahi Handi festival, Nav Ratri and even Eid celebrations,” Hedge said.”
“By KHL News Bureau
The crib building creativity of Mumbai’s Christian community will be assessed by the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) this year in through a public contest. The MGP, that expects 300 entries from Mumbai, has also reached out to churches across India, to elicit entries of their respective displays of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that are creatively erected within church premises only.
Gleason Barretto, the founder trustee of the MGP says, “In Mumbai we estimate at least 1000 outdoor cribs will be on public display erected by local parishioners of churches during the ensuing Christmas season. There are around 120 churches in the Mumbai region, each of which, would boast of five to ten outdoor cribs in their immediate vicinity.”
Barretto added that the first ever edition of such an Outdoor Crib Competition for Mumbai is being organized in the second year of the Mega Christmas Festival themed – Sarvajanik Krist Janmotsav 2018 – that has been dedicated to eminent freedom fighter Kaka Baptista, who belonged to the local East Indian community. Kaka Baptista was active during the Indian freedom struggle and coordinated his efforts along with Lokmanya Tilak.
The MGP appears to have taken a leaf out of Tilak’s initiative of holding the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav in Mumbai city to effectively mobilize congregations of people (against the British rule) for immersion of the idols of Hindu god Ganesha during the Indian freedom movement.
BJP MLA Krishan Hegde, and his non-governmental organisation (NGO) – the Krishna Hegde Prathisthan (PHP) – has joined forces with the MGP for the public crib building contest. Hegde says, “Prizes will be handed over to the top three outdoor cribs from across Mumbai’s length and breadth. A budget of Rs one lakh has been earmarked for the contest and the top three entries will be awarded Rs 11, 000, Rs 7500 and rs 5000 besides certificates being issued for participation.”
Barretto adds, “Two pictures of their cribs as well as contact details will have to be submitted before 12 midnight on December 31, 2018. There will be no cash prizes for the Pan India entries of cribs displayed at various church premises, but hope to grow to larger proportions in the coming years as the interest, participation and sponsorship levels develop. There would be trophies and participation certificates issued to the entries from the all India level. In Mumbai there will be around 20 entries that will be shortlisted by the panel of judges from MGP that will finalize the winners.”
He said there would be special prizes for interestingly themed displays, which not only maintain the basic integrity and decorum of the infant Jesus, his mother Mary and father Joseph (how the crib is laid out) but also creatively put out socially relevant messages for the public at large. In addition to this, special prizes would be given out for overall creativity as and the best displays of precision artwork and symbols like the Christmas ‘Star’.
Hedge noted that the thought for the outdoor crib contest was the brainchild of the new head of the BJP’s Minorities Department, Alexander D’Souza. “We will put up over 100 banners announcing the Outdoor Crib contest strategically across Mumbai city (after duly taking civic permission for the same). The online entries would be invited over the email ID – [email protected] till December 31, 2018. We want this contest to become a larger and bigger event over the years just like the Dahi Handi festival, Nav Ratri and even Eid celebrations,” Hedge said.”
