It was his first time in the country. He was down from his village in Rovaniemi in Lapland, Finland, to spend some festive cheer. After a two-year pause due to Covid restrictions, Santa Claus is back on his sleigh, with stops planned at Japan, Singapore and India.

The idea behind the real Santa—a permanent position held by a local in rotational shifts of months/years—is to ensure goodwill through the spread of positivity that Santa symbolises across the world. The Santa Claus Foundation (santaclausfinland.fi) is a non-profit body that works with charities across India, Nepal and Africa and other countries to improve mental and physical well-being of children. It becomes a permanent job when the uniform comes on.