Christmas celebrated with gaiety in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

HYDERABAD: Christmas was celebrated with pomp and gaiety across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana today.

Special prayers were conducted in churches since midnight and carols were sung in Hyderabad, which has a substantial population of Christians, and the two states.

St John's Church, St Mary's Church, All Saints' Church and other churches in the city witnessed large congregations.

Hyderabad has been home to a large number of Christians, including Anglo-Indians, since the British era.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao visited the Centenary Methodist English Church at Chapel Road at Abids here.

He expressed his happiness about celebrating Christmas in a separate Telangana state as he had wished last year and said that a Christian Bhavan is being built by the state government for the community, at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu attended Christmas celebrations at Guntur.

Christians visited churches in Vijayawada, West Godavari, East Godavari and Visakhapatnam as well as other districts and celebrated the festival with enthusiasm.

YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, along with family members, offered prayers at a church in his native Kadapa district.