by C.V.Rajan

Created on: August 31, 2009   Last Updated: September 01, 2009

Eid-ul-Fitr celebration by Muslims of India is somewhat like what Deepavali celebration is for the Hindus of India. Eid- ul-Fitr is a festival of joy, involving purchase and wearing of new clothes, giving gifts to the near and dear ones, sumptuous eating - particularly, lots of sweetmeat, time for family re-union and sharing of sweets with friends and relatives cutting across religious barriers; in all these aspects the festival is comparable with Deepavali (or Diwali) of the Hindus.

Eid ul Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the Islamic month Shaw'waal. Eid celbration vibes with good will and communal harmony in India, particularly because it is a celebration of culmination of the holy month Ramzan (Ramalan), when Muslims undertake fast, practice austerities and spend the month in prayer and spiritual rejuvenation.

Muslims of India, who constitute the second largest segment of population (next to Hindus) undertake fasting during Ramzan with their characteristic religious zeal cutting across all class in their society, from the rich to the poor.

Naturally, such a mass scale practicing of a month-long religious austerities produce a very positive ambiance, whose culmination in the joyful celebration of Eid augers well for the happiness and sense of well-being of the society as a whole.

The mood for Eid celebrations starts at least a week before; markets start overflowing with new clothes, gift articles, sweets, bakery items, mutton and poultry, dry fruits, unique food and spice ingredients needed for the cooking of feasts for the celebration. Muslims throng the markets and go on a spending spree, buying new clothes, fashion wear, jewelry, new curtains and tapestry for their homes, gifts for near and dear ones and so on.

In Kashmir valley, Eid is the period when people engage in over-spending and stocking of goodies as well as essentials including woolen wear, in way of preparation for the on coming winter season. Since the lifeline for supply of essentials to Kashmir Valley, namely the Jammu-Srinagar highway gets clogged in the ensuing winter and rainy season, Eid festival comes in handy for people to spend for the festival as well as stock for the future.

On the eve of Id-ul-Fitr festival in India, crowd control at markets and traffic jams on the roads become headaches for local administration in the marketplaces of towns and cities where Muslims live in majority.

Eid is normally celebrated for 3 days, but the first day of the festival is particularly important

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