Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 3: Eid-ul-Fitr was today observed with religious fervour across Kashmir as thousands thronged various masjids and open spaces across Kashmir to offer the mandatory Eid congregational prayers.
On the day, the largest congregational prayers were held at Dargah Hazratbal around 10:15 am, which witnessed the presence of people from various areas of Kashmir, while as small to large gatherings were held in the masjids, open spaces situated across towns and villages of the Valley.
As per estimates, around 80,000 people offered Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Dargah Hazratbal, where children-dressed in colourful clothes-and women, along with elderly people attended the mandatory prayers.
President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Dr Farooq Abdullah and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also offered Eid-ul-Fitr congregational prayers at Dargah Hazratbal.
Mayor of Srinagar Junaid Azim Mattu also participated in the congregational prayers at the Hazratbal shrine and prayed for lasting peace and prosperity for the people of J&K.
Around 8 in the morning, however, the weather took a turn and various areas, as per MeT, were set to receive moderate to heavy rain, prompting people who had planned to offer prayers in open spaces to conduct the same inside the mosques.
In the majority of places, the Eid prayers were held well before the weather turned bad, while the same did not stop the remaining devotees from offering prayers.
While the prayers were held in the compound of Dargah Hazratbal Shrine as well as in the open field adjacent to it, people there complained of ill-preparations by the administration for the smooth conduct of Eid prayers.
“It was already known that the weather would turn bad, but there were no adequate arrangements in place, sufficient tents in the open space were not erected keeping in view the weather; those who prayed in open space, mostly went home completely drenched,” one of the devotees at Dargah said.
Notably, the congregational Eid prayers were held today across Kashmir after a gap of 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic-for the containment of which-there were SOPs issued which included the closure of masjids or presence of a limited number of people at one time.
Further, in connection with the Eid prayer, no prayers were allowed on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr at Eidgah grounds and the same was not allowed to be held at central Jamia Masjid in Srinagar after the Jamia Auqaf “refused” to comply with the directives issued by the authorities here.
The directives included the holding of prayers early in the morning around 7 am to avoid law and order problems and enable the law enforcement agencies to take care of the safety and security of all people coming for Eid prayers more effectively.
While the authorities had, earlier as well, disallowed the holding of prayers on the occasion of Juma-tul-Vida and Shab-e-Qadr, eyewitnesses today said that there was an enhanced presence of police and CRPF personnel ensured by the authorities around Jamia Masjid situated in Nowhatta area of Srinagar.
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