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Confusion clouds Id-ul-Fitr celebrations

Special Correspondent

Many cities in the State to celebrate festival today

LUCKNOW: Failure of the ulemas and religious leaders to reach a consensus on the date of Id-ul-Fitr has resulted in the festival being celebrated on two days in Uttar Pradesh. While Id was celebrated in several cities of the State, including Lucknow, on Tuesday, it will be celebrated in the other cities on Wednesday.

This lack of consensus created a piquant situation that led to the urban Muslims being divided on the date of the festival, depending on the visibility of the moon. The main Id congregational prayer on Tuesday was held at Aishbagh Idgah in Lucknow but in several areas of the city, including Indira Nagar, Gomti Nagar and Mohanlalganj, Id would be celebrated on Wednesday.

Till midnight on Tuesday the Id moon was not sighted in Lucknow and the Markazi Chand Committee general secretary, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, who is the Naib Imam of Aishbagh Idgah, announced that since the moon was not sighted in the evening/night of Monday, Id would be celebrated on October 25 all over Uttar Pradesh. The Muslims were asked to observe "roza" (fast) on October 24, which was to be 30th day of the month of Ramzan.

Maulana Rasheed was supported by noted Shia cleric and All India Muslim Personal Law Board vice-chairman Maulana Kalbe Sadiq. Maulana Sadiq had earlier announced that Id would fall on October 25 on the basis of scientific calculations on the movement of moon.

However, the Markazi Chand Committee reversed its decision at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday. Maulana Rasheed later said that though the moon was not sighted in Lucknow, its sighting was confirmed in some places, so Id would be celebrated on Tuesday.

While the majority of the Sunni Muslims heeding the announcement celebrated the festival on Tuesday, Maulana Rasheed's call was rejected by the "Shahar Qazi" of Lucknow, Maulana Abul Irfan Firangi Mahali, who said Id would be celebrated on Wednesday.

The late night call was also rejected by the Barelvi sect whose leaders, including the `Qazi', have decided to celebrate the festival on Wednesday.

The Lucknow Shias would also celebrate the festival on Wednesday.

Besides Lucknow, Id was celebrated on Tuesday in Meerut, Aligarh , Gorakhpur and Mau. On Wednesday the festival would be celebrated in Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Bareilly, Rampur, Moradabad, Faizabad, Unnao, Azamgarh and in some parts of Lucknow.

PTI adds:

Chandigarh: Muslims in Punjab and Haryana celebrated Id-ul-Fitr with traditional fervour on Tuesday.

Hundreds of revellers thronged the tastefully-decorated mosques and were also greeted by other communities on the occasion.

The Pakistan cricket team, which is in Chandigarh for the ongoing Champions Trophy matches, visited the Sector 20 mosque here under tight security and were joined by Haryana Governor A. R. Kidwai in offering prayers there.

Reports of celebrations were received from a number of places in the region, including the Mewat area.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Raghbir Singh Kadian and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda called on Kidwai at the Raj Bhawan here to greet him on the occasion.

The Haryana Government and the Chandigarh administration, which had earlier declared holiday on October 25, rescheduled it for Tuesday.

Punjab Governor S F Rodrigues, in his Id greeting to the people, called for renewal of their dedication towards the goals of peace, amity and human brotherhood.

Greeting s exchanged

Jaipur : Id was celebrated in some parts of Rajasthan on Tuesday after the moon was sighted on Monday night bringing an end to the month-long Ramzan.

While Muslims in Alwar and parts of Kota exchanged greetings and offered Namaz on Tuesday, people in other cities of the State will celebrate Id on Wednesday after viewing the moon on Tuesday night, an official spokesman said.

Elaborate security arrangements were made around Idgahs in Alwar and Kota to ensure peace during the prayers, the police said.

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