Whether it was Light House Hill or the Masjid at Pumpwell, the message of peace and harmony underscored Id-ul-Fitr celebrations across the city on Tuesday.
The largest gathering was probably at Light House Hill where thousands performed their prayers at the Idgah located there. A sea of white-clad men prostrated – on pavements and the road which was blocked for traffic – in the surprising heat of the morning at the Eidgah where Mangalore Qazi Twaqa Ahmed Musliyar delivered his sermon. Apart from explaining the religious significance of fasting for nearly 30 days, the Qazi emphasised on aiding and alleviating sufferings of backward sections of society.
Among those gathered was Mohammad Badiyadka, a shopkeeper, who said the day would be spent visiting members of his family.
After the prayers, those gathered wished each other. The narrow by-lanes of Zeenath Bhaksh Masjid at Bunder and mosques at Kankanady, Bolar, Kuloor, Kulai among others brimmed with devotees in the morning.
TrafficThough traffic was stalled at numerous places in the morning, by the afternoon, a holiday mood had settled on the city, seeing only a trickle of cars and motorcycles at the busy Hampankatta and Balmatta junctions. Most shops in the usually-busy Central market area kept their shutters down for the day.
Led by organisations such as Campus Front of India, Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) among others, the festivities also reminded devotees to pray for and stand up against the violence at Gaza where more than 1,000 Palestinians are reported to have been killed. Clerics across the city were reported to have included a line about Gaza, where the violence peaked during the month of Ramzan.
At the Ibrahim Khaleel Masjid near State Bank Circle, devotees were asked to pray for peace in the conflict zone, while members of SIO gathered at Someshwar beach to protest, silently, against “atrocities” of the Israeli government.
PrayersUdupi Special Correspondent writes:
A large number of Muslims offered prayers at the Jamia Masjid, Anjuman Masjid near City Bus Stand, and Noorani Masjid at Indrali here, and also at Jumma Masjid in Manipal. They also offered greetings to one another.
Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Abdurrashid Nadvi, Khatib and Imam of Udupi Jamia Masjid, stressed the importance of the festival. Prayers were offered at mosques in places such as Kaup, Hoode, Brahmavar, Malpe, Karkala, Kundapur and Gangolli too.
