Jai Yeshu: The narrative is secular, the festival is Christmas

Once a thriving central Mumbai Christian belt, it extended from Dadar across Prabhadevi all the way till Worli. Today, only old grottos and crucifixes remain from that bygone era in fishing villages like Worli and Mahim. The pastoral fishing community of East Indians are hard to come by, but the spirit of oneness in the incredible religious and cultural diversity that is India continues — indeed thrives.

Come Christmas, the Worli cross in a corner of the street leading from Doordarshan Kendra to Elphinstone Road will be lit up for the annual satyanarayan puja, a tradition that for many is an acknowledgment of India's syncretic culture. The shrine's many non-Christian devotees call it Siddhibaba after the many "miracles" it's believed to have engineered. Adorned with agarbattis, earthern lamps and burning camphor, it has coconuts and jasmine-marigold garlands offered to it.

"We believe that Siddhibaba fulfils every wish," points out 78-year-old Atmaram Parab, a neighbourhood resident. "East Indian Koli Christians have long gone, but the textile workers who settled here adopted the cross." Proof of this can be seen in this ex-mill employee's one-room house in the nearby BDD Chawl. A photograph of the shrine jostles for space at the altar alongside those of his Hindu family deities. "When I was struck with paralysis, I thought I'd never walk, but Siddhibaba cured me," he says, still overwhelmed.

Socio-cultural historian Mukul Joshi feels such instances of secularism surviving in a rapidly polarising city should be encouraged. "As long as it doesn't create dogma and blind belief, we need to find, document and celebrate more and more such narratives. They could be our only hope in neutralising the dominant hate, bigotry and intolerant narratives of the times we live in."

Syncretic Christmas
Barely a block away in the Worli gaothan home of Teresa Ferandez, Christmas celebrations have always had a local flavour right from the crib (a dhoti-clad Joseph and Mary in sari). "I make an offering of rice, fruits, a coconut, a sari and blouse-piece, a veni (traditionally strung flowers) and bangles to Mother Mary every Christmas," says the feisty 76-year-old, who believes that Mount Mary from Bandra, the Virgin Mary and Sitaladevi from Mahim, Mahalaxmi from Worli and Mumbadevi are five sisters guarding Mumbai. "How else do you think a small fishing village prospered and became such a thriving city?"

The gnarled matriarch in a traditional nine-yard chequered lugda sari and white veil, disapproves of the sartorial choices of the young. "They speak English at home and wear shorts and T-shirts even to church. They only play English Christmas songs these days. What happened to our lullabies like Neej re Krista, neej re Krista, maay Mary halvite tujha paalna (Hush and sleep, oh baby Jesus, your mother Mary rocks your cradle)?"

Like her, 72-year-old Father Francis Correa of Vasai, who has penned over 25 books on the socio-cultural history of the community, also worries that this beautiful blend of cultures and religion is getting lost.

"Kolis (fisherfolk), vadvals (horticulturists), kumbhars (potters) and Samvedi Brahmins (who had settled here from Saurashtra and Rajasthan) already had a rich, oral tradition of folk music, language and culture. Though they converted to Christianity in 1560, they didn't give up their attire, clothes or style of worship." he explains.

Going global
Across the seas, Dr Francis Barboza, who heads the Satyaradhana Institute of Performing Arts at Iselin, New Jersey, US, is explaining the connect between dance and the life of Jesus to his students. He demonstrates with angikabhinaya (expression through the various limbs of the body) in the Bharatanatyam genre, "And I came down from Heaven / And I danced on the earth / At Bethlehem I had my birth/ They cut me down / And I leapt up high / I am the Lord of Dance said he."

He goes on to explain, "Dance figures both in Jesus' genesis and birth, his crucifixion and death. It is an affirmation. A celebration of joyousness and life that is the core of Christianity."

Barboza decided to introduce Christian themes in his dance following decades of training under various gurus at Mangalore, Trichy and Baroda while pursuing his postgraduate degree in Bharatanatyam at Baroda's MS University in 1980. "Earlier, south Indian Christians had their own dance forms like Margamkali, Parishumuttukali, Chavittunatakam, Kuruvanjinatakam. Nobody had presented a solo dance recital on Christian themes before. I wanted to express my innovative instinct to my experience of Christ and his message through my dance."

The challenges were immense. "The main difficulty was technique. Angikabhinaya is unique in Indian classical dance, especially Bharatanatyam, because of hand gestures (hasta) and postures. There are different categories of hasta, namely nritta (hand gestures for pure dance), abhinaya (hand gestures for expression), deva hasta (gestures for deities) I could use all others in the original form except for the deva hasta because the nature of Biblical personalities is totally different and unique."

His desire to depict the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) led him to invent new deva hastas to suit divine personalities and concepts of Christianity. He calls it his biggest creative, intellectual and theological challenge. 

Technicalities apart, he had to face social-religious opposition and adverse criticism, especially from the Indian Catholic press. "Some wrote negatively and condemned my efforts without attending my performances," he laughs. "However, within a few years, people's attitudes changed to support and appreciation. Especially when the sceptics witnessed my performances and began to understand the deeper significance of my innovations."

So much so that the church too supports him in his endeavours.All we can say to that is Jai Yeshu!