Hindus Join Muslims in Celebrating Eid in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: It is a day of prayers, feasting and togetherness today, as Hindus in many parts of the State joined Muslims in Eid celebrations across the State, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.

Hindu families visited the houses of their Muslim friends and greeted them on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Large congregations of Muslims were seen at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore and Sambalpur, with the devout dressed in their finest, packing into mosques, Eidgahs and open grounds to offer prayers.

Meanwhile, security across the State has been beefed up to ensure a peaceful Eid. Apart from diverting traffic at various places, particularly near the mosques, elaborate security arrangement has been made to avoid any case of violence.

Eid, celebrated on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, marks the end of the period of fasting during the holy month of Ramzan. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity”, while Fitr means “charity”.

For children, an inherent part of the much-awaited festival is earning ‘Eidi’. At the end of Eid lunch, the elders in the family give money to the young ones.

Source: 360 NS with inputs from IANS