Easter celebrated with festive fervour in Visakhapatnam

Holding candles and singing hymns featuring the resurrection of Jesus Christ, many Christians marched to cemeteries in the early hours and also held morning prayers

Nearly two lakh Christians from as many as 400 churches and chapels in the city celebrated Easter with festive fervour on Sunday.

Also called Easter Sunday, the day commemorating the resurrection, it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, as Christians believe. It is a joyous day for Christians as they believe that the resurrection does not symbolise the end of death.

Easter falls on the third day of Good Friday, which is a solemn occasion for Christians. While Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the hands of the Romans, Easter is a festival when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross but rose from the dead three days later.

Holding candles and singing hymns featuring the resurrection of Jesus Christ, many Christians marched to cemeteries in the early hours and also held morning prayers. Almost all cemeteries witnessed a huge rush from morning till afternoon, as people gathered there to light candles and place bouquets and flowers on the graves of their loved ones.

“We believe that Easter festival is a symbol of new life, hope and victory over death. People go to churches for prayers, some even visit the cemeteries of their loved ones in the hope that their loved ones will come back like Jesus. We celebrate Christmas, Good Friday and Easter as our main festivals. There is a 40-day fast before Easter, also known as Lent, which is a period of spiritual preparation for the main Christian holiday, Easter. It begins with Ash Wednesday, which fell on March 5 this year,” Rev. P. Rajesh Kumar of Union Chapel at CBM Compound, told The Hindu.

Some Christians gathered with friends and family and celebrated the festival with joy and enthusiasm.

Suzanne Palla, Medical Officer, GVMC UPHC, P.M. Palem, said, “Yes, this Easter is a special day in our family. I went to Campbell Hospital, Kadapa, to celebrate Easter with loved ones. We paid our respects to the elders at the cemetery.”

Sheila Jackson, Director, Olivet School, Zilla Parishad Junction, said, “We celebrated Easter with a service at St. Paul’s Church. We also held a United Easter celebration at the R.K. Beach Volleyball Ground in the evening.”

“This year Easter was a joyous occasion for us as my son Ruthwik secured 92 percentile in JEE Mains, the results of which were released on Saturday. We are now hoping that my son will score well in JEE Advanced,” said V. Sumathi, a government school teacher.

Published - April 20, 2025 11:31 pm IST