Toned down: No festivity in Youhanabad bazaars

Prayers held for blast victims.

LAHORE: April 5 was not very different from any given Sunday in Youhanabad main bazaar and its adjoining streets. Unlike previous Easter Sundays, there were no stalls selling toys and food. Neither were there any decorations in the streets. 

Emanuel Masih, a Yohanabad resident, told The Express Tribune that he could not recall any year in his lifetime when the neighbourhood was not decorated for the Easter. “Shopkeepers in the main bazaar would arrange special stalls that would remain open all day,” he said. He said this year most shopkeepers had kept their shops shut.

Masih said all households in the neighbourhood had been affected by the blasts and the events that occurred in its aftermath. “We’re remembering the victims and hoping for the release of those detained by the police,” he said.

The impact of the blast and the events that occurred afterwards was not limited to the streets and markets of the neighbourhood. Residents said the churches too were lacking the usual festivity. They said though there was no fall in the number of people who showed up for the Easter service, the mood was sombre and fearful, not joyful.

Joseph Nadeem, a resident of the street that houses St Joseph Church, said most visitors kept recalling the blasts and prayed for the victims and their relatives.

Nadeem said that a large police contingent was present at the church. However, he said, police presence was not very helpful in making the visitors feel safe. “I kept praying the Christ should ensure the safety of the visitors,” he said.

Sunrise service, special prayers

The city churches arranged a special service at sunrise on Sunday to begin Easter celebrations that continued throughout the day. Easter sermons and choirs were also held to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year’s Easter service also included special prayers for the victims of the Youhanabad blasts.

Some of the major churches that arranged Easter service in the city were St Anthony’s Church, St Mary’s Cathedral, the Don Basco Catholic Church, St Andrew’s Sacred Heart Cathedral and St Joseph Church. Strict security arrangements were made at these premises to avoid any untoward incident.

Several public parks in the city saw a large turnout of people on Sunday. Popular hang out places included Lawrence Gardens, the Lahore Zoo, Race Course Park and Fortress Stadium.

Easter marks the end of the Lent (40 days of fasting). In the Christian tradition, Easter is the occasion of Christ’s resurrection after being crucified during the governorship of Pontius Pilate. It is celebrated on the first full moon of spring.

The Easter day can fall between March 22 and April 25 in accordance with the 1582 decree of Pope Gregory XIII.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2015.