AIZAWL, April 5 - The people of Mizoram celebrated the Palm Sunday by singing hymns and shouting Hosanna to mark the entry of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem as king more than 2,000 years ago.
With the nationwide 21-day lockdown underway preventing normal celebration of Palm Sunday, churches in Mizoram conceived an alternative way, that is to celebrate from home.
This morning, the hills and valley in Aizawl were reverberated with the sound of children and their parents shouting �Hosanna� from their balconies and terrace.
Although Palm Sunday was observed within closed doors as churches are closed across the state, its sanctity as an important day was visible among the people as in the past.
In each locality, a pastor or any other church leader leader led the masses from the public information centre. The participation of the masses began after the leader had a short sermon and a prayer.
This was the first time normal celebration of Palm Sunday could not take place in Mizoram after the 20 years of insurgency had ended in 1986.
To many, today�s unique celebration of Palm Sunday was significant.
�In normal times, children alone would celebrate it in the morning. However, every church member took part this time and members of different denominations sang in unision. That makes it significant. This is the day we would remember long after the current crisis in gone,� said a church leader in Chanmari locality.
