AGARTALA, December 12 (TIWN): Barely 13 days left for the Christians grand festival “Merry Christmas” and the Preparations for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations have peaked in Tripura with one of the oldest church of Tripura Mariamnagar Church getting prepared for the Christmas celebration on December 25.

The capital city had been gearing up for the year-end festivities with spectacular illumination and festoons while Christmas trees and wreaths adorned almost every shops of the capital city Agartala. Churches, missionary schools and institutions are getting decorated with colorful buntings and lights.

Though the majority of the state's population belongs to the Hindu religion, the Christmas flavor, along with the New Year celebrations, gripped the entire state, especially the capital.

The beginning of the Christian faith in Tripura dates back many centuries. Fr. Ignatius Gomes, a Jesuit priest made the first reference to the Christians of Mariamnagar in Agartala when he visited them in 1683.

Shantir Rani Catholic Church, Mariamnagar has a unique place in the annals of the history of the North-eastern ‘Tripura' State ( India ). Records show that the ‘Catholic' Christian community originated in the 18th century when ‘Amar Manikya' was the Rajah of Tripura. The King had invited a band of men for military services, from the Portuguese mercenaries who were stationed at Chittagong and Noakhali (now in Bangladesh ). He apportioned some land close to the palace for their stay and convenience. These Portuguese settlers named their new domicile “Mariamnagar”.

Despite the chilly weather, Tripura like previous years, is getting all set to celebrate Christmas with fervor and pomp. The festive mood set in on the second week of December itself with Christmas trees and Santa Claus in his bright red attire and flowing beard hanging in front of most shops, especially confectionaries and gift shops.

Though Christianity as a religious faith is limited mostly to tribal communities here, the non-Christian Bengalis also celebrated the birth of Christ with equal enthusiasm and eclat. On Christmas Eve, Christians and non-Christians were seen singing Christmas carols on the city streets.