Hyderabad celebrates Eid

Dressed in their festive best, thousands of Muslims across the city offered prayers on Friday to celebrate the festival of Eid-Ul-Fitr. People flocked to open grounds or Eidgahs to offer ‘Namaz-e-Eid’. The biggest congregation was at the Miralam Eidgah where over a lakh, bowed down their heads seeking Almighty’s blessings.

Right from the historic Mecca Masjid near Charminar, Eidgahs at Madannapet, Chilkalguda, Sanathnagar, Red Hills, AC Guards and several others in the city saw incredible attendance as Muslims bid adieu to the holy month of Ramadaan after sighting the moon on Thursday night.

Festive atmosphere
The old city wore a festive look with the young and the old dressed in their festive finery and skull caps greeted each other on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. People greeting each another with ‘Eid Mubarak’ was a common sight. Small children were picked up by elders and were blessed by them.

Old friends, relatives and people who work in foreign countries came down to the city and caught up with each other with embraces and headed home to have a sumptuous spread of biryani, sheer kurma and other short eats. Youngsters were seen wearing the kurta pyjama and Sherwanis on Eid. Shops in the city made brisk business as people from across the city bought kurta pyjamas and sherwani.

Charity a tradition continues
Every Muslim is supposed to do charity if he is in a financially sound position and many in the city paid ‘fitra’ to the poor before heading for prayers. Mehmood, a resident of Falaknuma said, “It is our duty to see that even the poor celebrate Eid and it becomes our duty to help them do so. Fitra is separate from Zakat which well-to-do Muslims need to pay for the needy.”

Ali Rizwan, a resident of Pahadi Shareef says, “My grandfather who is no more inculcated the habit of helping the poor and there are people in the area who come to our house on festival day. They are like family to us.”

No Eid is complete without having ‘Sheer Khorma’ a sweet dish made with loads of vermicelli, dry fruits and the best milk. People invited friends, relatives and well wishers for bowls of the sweet dish. Ramulu of Shah Ali Banda says, “My neighbour Rehman bhai has been inviting us for generations and no Ramzan goes without us sharing sheer korma.”