Delhi: With curbs on festivities, Eid to be muted affair this year as well

The city will once again observe a muted Eid-ul-Azha, in the shadow of the pandemic, on Wednesday with strict curbs on gatherings and large-scale festivities

The city will once again observe a muted Eid-ul-Azha, in the shadow of the pandemic, on Wednesday with strict curbs on gatherings and large-scale festivities. The bigger mosques in the capital, including the Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid, will hold prayers with a handful of people in attendance.

Jama Masjid, one of the country’s largest mosques, will also remain shut to visitors. (Bloomberg file photo)

Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, the Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid, said Eid prayers will be offered by the staff of the mosque and a few others. “Since there is a ban on public gatherings, a larger congregation will not take place. We have appealed to people to offer prayers in the same manner as they did on Eid-Ul-Fitr, in compliance with Covid protocols,” said Ahmed. He added that sacrifice could be conducted in cooperation with resident welfare bodies and police while complying with hygiene and sanitation rules.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday reiterated that a ban on all religious gatherings was already in place and places of worship were open but not to visitors. DDMA also said meetings were conducted with Muslim religious leaders and masjid committees last week.

Jama Masjid, one of the country’s largest mosques, will also remain shut to visitors. “According to government guidelines, bigger mosques will remain closed to visitors. Only the staff from the mosque will offer Eid prayers on Wednesday,” said Ansar-Ul-Haq, assistant public relations officer, Jama Masjid.

Maulana Mohammad Furquan Qasmi, imam, Sunehri Masjid in Chandni Chowk, said prayers will be offered with only about 10-20 people due to restrictions. “Due to the pandemic, only a handful of people will offer the Eid namaz with adequate physical distancing and other protocols in place,” said Qasmi.

Similar to last year, the pandemic has adversely affected the sale of goats. On Tuesday, Old Delhi’s Meena Bazaar, usually teeming with customers, saw a tepid footfall with goat sellers roaming across various locations in search of buyers.

Mohd Imran Khan, a goat seller, said the annual market has been disrupted by the pandemic. “During normal (pre-Covid) times, the market used to be crowded with little space to even stand. This time, I have not sold a single goat. People are not ready to pay the amount we seek. There has been no business,” said Khan. Procured from Etah in Uttar Pradesh, he was hoping to sell four goats for a lakh each but is yet to find a buyer.

Kanwar Singh, a goat seller from Rewari, who was roaming around Urdu Bazaar in search of customers, said he will not make a profit this year. “We arrived with 15 goats this time and three are yet to be sold. This time, we couldn’t make much profit; people have been affected by the pandemic and are not ready to spend as much as they did in the past,” he said.

Mohammad Chand, who sells cutlery outside Jama Masjid, said his business was lukewarm. This year, he had not purchased a goat for sacrifice. “People who used to purchase four goats every year have bought only two. Those who used to get one or two are not planning to buy one this year. Even I’m not getting one this year,” said Chand.