The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Prayers mark Id celebrations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Prayers mark Id celebrations

Swathi Shivanand

Charity is an important part of the festivities, says scholar

JOINING IN CELEBRATION: Children enjoying lunch at an orphanage on Dickenson Road in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore: Tuesday was an exciting day for the 427 children of the Muslim Orphanage on Dickenson Road.

A feast was organised for them by a Muslim family as a token of charity on the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr. "Charity is an important part of Id celebrations. In fact, people have to make sure that the charity they give reaches the beneficiaries, otherwise their prayers would not be accepted," says Noor Mohammed Khalid, a scholar and a social activist.

Muslims have to set aside Rs. 40, usually commensurate to the market value of two and a half kg of rice, as charity, the idea being that we do not to forget the underprivileged when we are celebrating Id, he says.

"The Prophet institutionalised two Id celebrations. He did so because he understood that celebrating and enjoying are part of human nature. The first is in the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, called the Id-al-Adha.

The one we are celebrating now has come on the first day of the tenth month and it is called the Id-ul-Fitr. It has come after the ninth month of Ramadan," explains Mr. Khalid.

In Bangalore, prayer sessions on the middle of the road or open spaces were the order of the day.

"It has been legislated that people should not pray in mosques and should gather in open spaces to pray. The purpose is to meet people and interact with them, in a sense building communities," says Mr. Khalid.

Congregations

Large congregations have been quite common over the years. Sayema Gafoor, a software professional, who went to the Idgah Maidan at Cantonment says that the number of people at the ground amazed her. She says that she could not even gain entry to the pandal and had to stand outside and recite her prayers.

Mr. Khalid says that large numbers of people is the only change that has happened over the years and what is heartening, he says, is that the sobriety of the occasion remains.

For children, "Iddi" is the major attraction. "As a child, I remember waiting for Id because I could get and money from all the elders. Now that I am earning, people want me to give Iddi money and refused to give me Iddi. I made a long face and only then everyone started to give me," says Ms. Gafoor. Visiting families and throwing Id parties are also part of the festival.

"In fact, my kids get tired of meeting relatives and crib sometimes. We always wait for the day after the Id and go out somewhere," laughs Mr. Khalid.

Crowds at Lalbagh and Cubbon Park are evidence of these outings.

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