NRI DIARY

OTHER STORIES RELATED TO NRI DIARY London Diary India Calling Race Relations The world: Show Your Stripes Business: Overseas Kickstart Fashion: A Rustle On the Ramp Living: An Indian Yule Looking Glass American Round Up Weekly Round Up Education: Top Class The Arts: For Art's Sake Culture: Temple in Bloom

It's frosty outside. White snowflakes blanket the landscape. Stars hang in the sky and from doors even as mistletoe-kisses greet visitors. Yuletide offerings are splashed everywhere and guests get to partake of a sumptuous meal ... of Hyderabadi biryani and baghare baingan. Incongruous?

Not quite, if you ask some of the Indian families in Bromley. "Christmas is all about love and helping others," says Mohandas Velamati, a consultant radiologist at the Medway Hospital in Kent. "Though we have a Hindu background, we do not conventionally follow any particular religion. We celebrate Christmas and Diwali with the same spirit," he adds.

Indeed, Christmas fever has taken the beautifully lit Kentish town of Bromley by storm with Asian residents celebrating the fun-filled festival with great gusto. But people are not only illuminating their homes-they are also raising money for noble causes and working with children.

FESTIVE FLAVOUR: Velamati as Father Christmas (above); Anu, Usha and Ujwala

For Anu, a psychiatrist and Velamati's wife, Christmas 2001 has come early. For the past few weeks, she has been spreading the festive spirit among the children of mentally
ill mothers at the Strood Community centre in Kent. Says Anu: "These children come from various backgrounds.
What is important is that during Christmas these children, whose mothers are either in mental hospital or being treated for mental illness, should not be left out of the celebrations."

The Velamatis are Hindus from Hyderabad and every year, they chip in with good deeds during Christmas, even spreading the message to others. "Some of the hospital staff give cards and clothes, some dressed as father Christmas collect money. The church has given a lot of food," Mohandas says. "I have approached the local supermarket to donate a few goodies for the children. In fact," he smiles, "I have even got a hairdresser to give free haircuts to the children." A few years ago he raised £1 m to buy a CT-Scanner for the hospital.

In another part of England-Coventry-another Hyderabadi family, the Jettys, is also urging Asians to donate to charity this Christmas. Says Usha Jetty, 39, a GP: "There are a number of poor Asians in Midlands and some of them are disabled. What better time is there than Christmas to collect donations for the needy children?"

Her husband, Chandra Mohan, also a GP, shares in the spirit. Every Christmas, the Jettys arrange a musical evening-Chandra Mohan has a passion for Hindi film songs and ghazals-followed by a dinner party. Christian and Hindu friends of the family are treated to typical Hyderabadi cuisine.

The Israels, who are Christians from Hyderabad, join the festive fun. They celebrated Diwali this year with equal fervour. Says Jaipal Israel, a doctor: "I believe in universal religion taught by Swami Vivekananda. A religion that does not provide goodness and shelter to the deprived children of the world is no religion. We in Bromley make sure that during Christmas all the poor Asian children at various community centres enjoy themselves."

Later, Mohandas dresses up as Father Christmas-in his own interpretation: a silky orange, priestly gown and a tiara-like hat. He looks more like one of the three wise men who visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem. "Why not," he quips, "the wise men also came with gifts like Santa Claus." As guests admire his garb and children covet the gifts, the spread is laid out-pure Hyderabadi cuisine replete with Hyderabadi biryani made with turkey meat. Says Ujwala Israel: "This is Christmas, Hyderabadi style." And as everyone applauds, the dessert is served around ... no Christmas pudding here -just rasmalai.

-Jai Kumar