In Pics: Christmas fervour sets in; markets lit, churches decorated

Christmas, one of the world's major festivals, is also celebrated fervently in India. The country is home to an estimated 2.78 crore Christians, as per the 2011 census. In this picture,
people can be seen decorating the Holy Family Catholic church in Jammu & Kashmir's Srinagar (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Christmas is considered one of the prime festive periods in India, marked by school and college vacations. A higher turnout at local markets is usually recorded around the occasion. In this picture, people can be seen crowding to buy Christmas decorations at a stall outside a church in Bengaluru. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

People visit the All Saints Cathedral, illuminated to mark Christmas, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A woman, wearing a face mask as a precaution, walks past stalls displaying Christmas souvenirs for sale in Bengaluru. Ahead of the festive season, the Karnataka government has advised citizens to "mask up" in view of the recent jump in COVID-19 cases (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

A taxi drives past a decorated street ahead of Christmas in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. The city is home to a large number of Christians and is known for widespread celebrations on the occasion. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

A vendor pushes Christmas related items on a cart in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

A traffic policeman manages traffic on a decorated street ahead of Christmas in Kolkata. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Santa Claus toys are seen for sale ahead of Christmas at a market in Srinagar. The festival-related toys and clothing have featured in markets across the region as Jammu & Kashmir, which receives snowfall in winter, is one of the top tourist attractions during the festive season. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)