The celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr this year would remain confined to four-walls inside homes with no congregational prayers and social gathering amid COVID19 lockdown.
Traditionally, Muslims offer Eid congregational prayers in open spaces like grounds commonly known as Eidgah. Muslims hug each other to extend greeting after they are done with Eid special prayers.
Later, the relatives, friends and neighbours visit each other to greet. In some villages, girls sing traditional Kashmiri chorus “Rouf” and Eid songs.
However, this year, the celebrations are mute to contain the virus.
All leading Muslim religious institutions and top Islamic scholars have issued a unanimous decree asking faithful not to offer group prayers and instead be confined to homes, follow health advisories and other similar instructions issued by authorities.
“We have seen some Eids amid curfew or hartals. But this is the first Eid where celebrations would be mute on this scale and local social gathering absent,” said Ghlam Muhammad, who is in his 70s.
In the normal times, thousands of people attended Eid special prayers in Eidgahs, masjids and shrines across the Jammu and Kashmir. The biggest gathering would be witnessed at Jama Masjid in Downtown and at Hazratbal Shrine.