GUWAHATI, Dec 25 � Fifty years back X-Mass was celebrated with much enthusiasm at the Gauhati (Guwahati) Club, while X-Mass prayers were held at the Church Field Christ Church, Kamarpatty Baptist Church and Satribari Christian Mission campus. This was stated by noted writer Kumudeswar Hazarika, who has been researching the history of the city for about two decades now.
On the occasion day and night parties were held at the Gauhati Club. The occasion was also celebrated at the Telegraph Institute Club, Panbazar located just in front of the Cotton College Chemistry Department. This club was then popularly known as the Kola Sahabor Club.
Non-Christians were also invited to such parties and it was a regular practice of many of the non-Christians to buy cakes from the Jamatulla and Sons and Sheikh Bakery on the occasion.
Churches were illuminated and Gauhati Club and Kola Sahabor Club were gorgeously decorated on the occasion.
However, unlike the present day celebrations, X-mass parties were not held in the residences, restaurants and other clubs of the town then.
There were limited number of Christian families in the town and most of them were connected with the Joint Steamer Company, Indian Tobacco Company as officials and employees. Some of them were connected with the Telegraph Department either as officers or as employees, said Hazarika.
