Eid celebrated in Jammu Kashmir 

Srinagar, May 24: Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday as Shawal moon was sighted in the region.

Kashmir, like rest of the world will be celebrating the festival with sobriety due to continued lockdown.

No congregational Eid prayers will be offered and people have been advised to stay home in order to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

People preferred to offer Eid prayers at home — either individually or in small groups comprising family members, the officials said.

However, there have been reports of congregation Eid prayers being offered in mosques located in the interior parts of cities and towns.

Police personnel made announcements early in the morning on public address systems, appealing people not to congregate for Eid prayers as restrictions were still in place as part of the lockdown.

On the eve of Eid, the streets and markets in Srinagar and other major towns lacked the hubbub of usual festivities. However, the scene was different in town of Jammu division as the markets were open in most of the declared Orange and Green zones.

Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir, by and large for the first time, observed the appeal by the J&K Administration and their religious leaders to hold Eid prayers from their home. However, as a precautionary measure, the police was deployed outside of most of the Mosques in Jammu district to restrict movement inside.

Earlier an announcement from New Delhi said Eid will be celebrated in the country on Monday, May 25 as the moon could not be sighted on Saturday.

The announcement was made by Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Shah Bukhari.

A meeting of Ruyat-e-Hilal Committee, Imarat-e-Sharaiyah-Hind, was also held during the day. After the meeting it was announced that the moon was not sighted in Delhi and there was also no report from any part of the country, a statement from Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said.

In neighboring Pakistan state sponsored Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced the sighting of moon late in the night. “Shawal moon has been sighted and Eid-al-Fitr will be celebrated on Sunday”, a statement said.

In Srinagar mosque loudspeakers immediately blared announcements declaring the Sunday as the day of Eid.

Extending greetings to the people, Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam followed suit and said that moon has been sighted and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow (Sunday).

On Eid, many of the residents of Jammu and Kashmir retained in various district quarantine centres missed their home celebrations and regret not being at home to celebrate Eid with family and friends.

From prayers to multi-course feasts, they are missing everything about the festival.

However, doctors, health workers and police personnel remained on duty on Sunday in Kashmir and other districts of Jammu division. “Our full staff was on the job. The health of our people matters to us the most,” said Sameer Mattoo, Kashmir health services director.

Eid is being observed across Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala on Sunday, while the rest of the country will celebrate it on Monday.

As per reports, no Eid prayers were offered in major mosques and shrines of Kashmir. However, prayers were offered in far-off villages while maintaining social distancing. In the cities, people preferred to offer prayers indoors.

Meanwhile a section of Muslims celebrated Eid in Ladakh region on Saturday after moon sighting reports surfaced in some areas a day earlier.