Eid-ul-Fitr Festive mood grips Srinagar Valley

Festive mood gripped the entire Kashmir valley, as Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated.

Eid-ul-Fitr Festive mood grips Srinagar Valley: While people were seen thronging the marketplaces for last-minute shopping, others were seen rushing home early ahead of the festive occasion. Maximum rush of shoppers was witnessed at the bakery and butcher shops. Most of the offices, especially the government ones, wore a deserted look in the afternoon as the people had left home early.

Eid-ul-Fitr Festive in Srinagar

As Eid-ul-Fitr falls after the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations usually start with special prayers in the morning. While several delicacies are prepared on Eid-ul-Fitr, people extend greetings to their kith and kin after Eid-ul-Fitr prayers throughout the course of the day. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated for two days in the Valley.

The largest Eid prayer congregations will be held at Eidgah in downtown Srinagar and the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake. Lakhs of people are expected to pour in at Eidgah and Hazratbal for Eid prayers.

According to a notification issued by the J&K Board for specified Wakfs and Wakf properties, Eid prayers at Hazratbal will be held at 10 am. Prayers at Eidgah will be held at the same time too.

Eid-ul-Fitr 2020:

Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in Kashmir were a low-key affair as most of the faithful marked the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan by offering thanksgiving prayers at home in view of the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The festival is being celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala on Sunday, while the rest of the country will celebrate Eid on Monday.

No Eid prayers were offered for the second consecutive time in major mosques and shrines of Kashmir as police enforced restrictions in most parts of the valley including Srinagar city, officials said.

People preferred to offer Eid prayers at home — either individually or in small groups comprising family members, the officials said.

However, there have been reports of congregation Eid prayers being offered in mosques located in the interior parts of cities and towns.

Police personnel made announcements early in the morning on public address systems, appealing people not to congregate for Eid prayers as restrictions were still in place as part of the lockdown.

Last year, Eid-ul-Azha prayers could not be offered in Kashmir as authorities had imposed strict curfew in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 and division of then Jammu and Kashmir State into two union territories.

Eid marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan.