A Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh, is gearing up to join churches across the State in celebrating Christmas this year, with a tableau depicting Jesus Christ's birth joining its idols of gods and goddesses.
The grand temple dedicated to Balaji, an incarnation of Krishna, Hinduism's most revered god, has been decorated with the tableau and a big Christmas tree, festooned with balloons, ribbons and toys.
With Christmas only two days away, many of the temple's priests have given up their saffron robes to dress as Santa Claus as they perform religious ceremonies.
The tableau, placed in front of the temple's huge edifice with the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses inside, has become the talk of the town in Betul.
"The number of people visiting the temple has increased since the tableau and the tree were set up," said a temple official.
None other than the temple's priests toiled day and night to decorate the Christmas tree. Till a few days back, one could see the saffron-clad priests busy hanging balloons and ribbons on the tree.
Apart from Hindu devotional songs, one can hear Christmas carols at the temple. On Tuesday, a priest dressed as Santa Claus was seen distributing toffees and small gifts to children visiting the temple.
This is the first time that Christmas is being celebrated in the Balaji temple. The temple's owner Sam Verma, a famous industrialist and aviator of Madhya Pradesh, mooted the idea for the celebration.
"In the present times, when society is being divided on communal lines, we are trying to set an example for unity and harmony," said Anil Mishra, the temple's manager.