Multi-Faith Celebration of Christmas 2025 & New Year 2026
A Multi-Faith celebration of Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026 was organised by Indian Social Institute (ISI) in collaboration with the Ashirvad Centre on 22nd December, 2025, at Ashirvad Centre, Bengaluru. The event brought together religious leaders, scholars, students, and people from diverse faith backgrounds to celebrate the spirit of Christmas and to promote peace, harmony, and mutual understanding in society. The programme began with a warm welcome by Dr. Selvaraj Arulnathan SJ, Director of ISI, who highlighted the relevance of Christmas as a festival that calls all people to live in love, compassion, and harmony beyond religious boundaries. An invocation dance performed by visually impaired girl students set a meaningful tone for the celebration, reflecting inclusivity and human dignity. The Christmas message on the occasion was delivered by Bishop Joseph Susainathan, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bangalore and Chairman of the Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism for Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops Council (KRCBC). In his message, he emphasised that the birth of Jesus Christ teaches that true peace is rooted in humility, love, and service rather than the exercise of power, force or domination. He stated that diverse faith traditions have played a vital role in shaping the moral and spiritual conscience of our nation and every faith teaches, in its own sacred language, that compassion is stronger than hatred, that service is greater than power, and that the human person is never a means, but always an end. He called upon religious leaders of all faiths to provide moral leadership in the face of growing social polarisation and intolerance. He hoped that such inter-religious celebrations strengthen the resolve of religious leaders of all faiths to walk together, to speak together, and to work together for peace in our neighbourhoods, justice in our society, and harmony in our nation.
Representatives from various faith traditions, including the Hinduism, Sufism, Baha’i, Sikhism, and Buddhism, shared reflections highlighting the common values of compassion, justice, loving-kindness, and selfless service present in all religions. Mr. Gokulmuthu Narayanaswamy from the Ramakrishna Mission stressed the need to revisit the authentic life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth rather than the institutionalisation of his message through rituals and doctrines. Mr.Ahsan Jaffri, a sufi scholar, reflected on the life and message of Jesus that had personally inspired him, while Mr. Dinesh Rao from the Baha’i community spoke of the joy and happiness he experienced in the sense of fellowship fostered by the Christmas season. Mr. Jagbir Singh Dhody from the Sikh community described Christmas as a season of joy and happiness meant to be shared generously with people of all faiths, while Venerable Bhikku Ratnashila from the Mahabodhi society dreww attention to the Buddhist teaching of loving kindness highlighting the ethical values shared by Christianity and Buddhism.
The celebration was further enriched with the rendition of Christmas carols by the students of St. Joseph’s University and the Sisters of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master and cultural performances by children of Spandana Study Centres, creating an atmosphere of joy and unity.
The programme was smoothly moderated by Dr. Denzil Fernandes SJ, Head of the Department of Peace and Reconciliation at ISI Bangalore, while Fr. Arun Luis SJ, Director of Ashirvad, proposed the vote of thanks. The event concluded with a renewed commitment to inter-religious dialogue, peace, and social harmony.