Chandigarh hotels cancel Christmas, New Year parties

CHANDIGARH - Come Christmas and New Year, and this city gets into party mode. But this year all prominent hotels and even clubs and discotheques have cancelled celebrations in the wake of the shocking tragedy in Mumbai a month ago.

Chidambaram asks Orissa to ensure peace on Christmas

NEW DELHI - Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday telephoned Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the Christmas eve and urged him to ensure peace in the state in the wake of the festive celebrations Thursday.

Sculptor Sudarsan Patnaik creates ‘tallest sand Santa’

PURI - Santa Claus is usually identified with snow, but artist Sudarsan Patnaik Wednesday claimed to have created the world’s tallest sand replica of Father Christmas on the Puri beach in the state.

Heavy security at Orissa churches, temples ahead of Christmas

BHUBANESWAR - Armed policemen have been deployed at several churches, major temples and other religious establishments in Orissa as authorities and many Christians apprehend trouble during Christmas in the state that witnessed widespread communal violence in recent months.

Unholy goings-on cloud Kerala’s churches

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Christian priests being arrested for murder, a nun committing suicide, another alleging torture in a convent… 2008 has been full of unsavoury incidents for churches in Kerala, except for one historic moment - the sainthood of Sister Alphonsa.

A different Christmas from a different time, recall Anglo-Indians (Feature)

NEW DELHI - Trees decked with homemade decorations adding to the magic of crisp, cold, star-studded nights around Christmas might not be totally lost today, but for Delhi’s Anglo-Indians much has changed down the years.

BJP refuses to accept government clarification on Antulay

NEW DELHI - Refusing to accept the government’s explanation on Minorities Affairs Minister A.R. Antulay’s remarks on the death of a Maharashtra police officer, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said the Congress-led government was ‘playing minority appeasement politics’ and it would take the issue to the people.