Amritsar witnesses subdued Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 14

Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated with enthusiasm and zeal in the city on Friday. A large number of Muslims offered prayers at Jama Masjid, Hall Bazaar, to mark the end of the holy month.

Maulana of the mosque greeted and addressed the gathering on the occasion. The gathering did not bother about the Covid-19 restrictions. Violating the social distancing norms, devotees hugged each other.

Atif, a fruit seller, said, “I wanted to celebrate the festival at my home town in UP, but due to the Covid restrictions I could not arrange for transportation. So I visited Eidgah on Sultanwind Road and offered prayer.”

“It is a great day to enjoy various delicacies. Owing to the Covid restrictions, we are not calling our Hindu and Sikh friends at our house. Unlike this year, we used to celebrate the day with our local friends,” said Farhad, a Kashmiri worker.

Tasleem Ahmad, a wood carving artist from Saharanpur, said, “We were aware of the guidelines issued by the government and avoided gathering. Most devotees wore masks. The gathering was very small as compared to last year.”

The city has a Muslim population of over two lakh. After the partition of Punjab, local Muslims moved to Pakistan. In the last couple of decades, a large number of Muslim migrants have settled in the city, besides establishing and renovating several mosques.

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