Nation celebrates Eid with fervour, prayers and feasting
feature, Nation 17:50
In the capital, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur drove to the residence of Vice President Hamid Ansari to greet him on the festival, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramzan.
The President, Vice President, Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi have greeted the people on the occasion.
President Pranab Mukherjee also greeted citizens and said that the festival will instill a sense of unity among all faiths and pride in the composite culture of the country.
In his message, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said the festival of Eid is a celebration of the spirit of sharing and brotherhood.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi conveyed her greetings to the nation saying the festival reminds people of virtues of "harmonious co-existence and mutual respect for each other's faith".
Despite overcast conditions and scattered rains in some areas, hundreds of faithful dressed in their festive best turned up at historic Jama Masjid, Fathepuri Masjid, Hazrat Nizamuddin and other mosques in the city to offer prayers.
People hugged each other and wished "Eid Mubarak", exchanged gifts and enjoyed special dishes, particularly 'sewayian' made of vermicelli, 'phirni' and different varieties of biryani and kebabs.
Elders gave 'eidee' (token money) to children. People visited relatives and markets decked up for the festival and gave out alms to the needy.
Across the country, the mosques and idgahs were overflowing with the devout with leaders too joining the celebrations.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah offered prayers at the Hazratbal shrine, which saw the biggest gathering of 60,000 people.
Barring protests at some places, Eid-ul Fitr was celebrated across Kashmir with traditional fervour.
Eidgah ground saw an attendance of 35,000 persons while the Tourist Reception Centre ground near Lal Chowk also witnessed a large gathering of around 25,000 people.
On the frontiers, the killing of five Indian soldiers along Line of Control cast a shadow as Indian and Pakistani forces skipped the tradition of exchanging greetings and sweets at Poonch.
However, the BSF and Pakistan Rangers did exchange sweets at Octroi post in R S Pura of Jammu and at the Attari/Wagah Joint Check Post in Punjab.
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