Oh no, the baby is missing!

ON CHRISTMAS EVE (2024), we visited the Victorian gothic St Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata (Calcutta). There was a creche (Nativity scene) in the garden. Unlike other such cribs we have spotted in the city, in which all the human characters look European,   all of the (lifesize) models in the St Paul’s creche depict Indians. The three kings look like Rajput maharajas,  a small boy near the crib is wearing kurta pyjamas, a shepherd carrying a lamb sports a turban, Joseph is wearing a dhoti, and Mary is dressed in a blue sari.

 This beautifully made ensemble illustrating happenings in Bethlehem, where there was no room at the inn, is lacking one person. There was no baby Jesus to be seen. The model of Mary seems to be looking adorably at an empty patch of ground. I wondered whether someone had stolen the model of Jesus. We asked a gardener what had happened to baby Jesus. He replied: “It’s Christmas Eve. Jesus has not been born yet. He’ll come tonight.