The sound of samosas frying crackled along the walls of many extravagantly decorated houses, the soft murmurs of the recitation of the Quran and the scent of henna wafting through the air is what Eid is all about!
Eid-ul-Ftir is an important religious holiday which is celebrated by Muslims all over the world which also marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan. Eid is celebrated in several ways with gatherings where families can meet after a brief exchange of gifts known as Eedi. People across the world celebrate Eid in accordance to their own culture which makes it even more interesting due to the variations in their choice of attire and the food they eat. People in Bengaluru shared their thoughts on this glorious festival.
Tasmiya Farheen, a BSc student of Mount Carmel College feels Eid is a family affair, simple yet big! “The buzz of Eid starts from a week before the actual occasion. Eager since morning, at the first sight of the moon, the full house goes into a frenzy. We start off with preparations of sheer khurma or seviyyan. The meat shops are open beyond midnight. Ladies, girls and children have their hands adorned with beautiful mehendi and everyone stays up late chatting. Men return from offering their prayers early morning on Eid, and the ladies take the preparation of biryani extremely seriously. Normally, we spend the first half of the day with our paternal family and the second half with our maternal one. Pleasantries are exchanged in person and over phones. Everyone from the age of five to 25 eagerly asks for ‘eedi’ from the elders, the money is a gift and blessing. Fancy dresses, lavish sweets, outings with family and staying up all night are the little joys of this auspicious day,” says Tasmiya.
Yusra Saqib, a student at Acharya Institute of Health Science is excited as well, “There is a great feeling of excitement before Eid. It traditionally starts with the Eid prayer, followed by a short sermon. Following the tradition, we head to our granny’s place to celebrate this joyous day. Eid is known for the food that is prepared. There is a large variety of sweets and other dishes. We wear the best traditional clothes and we get money as a blessing from elders. People enjoy and have fun with their family and friends. By the end of the day, children are excited to count their money collection! We are also heartbroken as we have to wait for another year for this joyous and delightful festival.”
The whole month has been a prayerful month for Simra Meher, a BBA student who says, “We all wake up for fajr (morning prayers) on the day of Eid, freshen up, get dressed and have breakfast together which is usually roti with paya or mutton macaroni and seviyyan for dessert before the men folk leave for Eid prayers. The ladies of the house offer prayer and later start preparing the day’s lunch. Later in the evening, relatives visit and we visit our older relatives homes, where everyone gathers. It’s always pleasant to spend time with the entire family. It’s fun and filled with loads of blessings, sweets and eedi!”
— Aamina Shabeer
