Low key Eid celebrations in Kashmir amid Covid-19 restrictions

Eid prayers were held in mosques in the Kashmir valley but the majority of residents stayed at home following the Covid-19 containment guidelines.

Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated in a subdued manner in the Kashmir valley without holding big congregations due to the restrictions imposed to contain Covid-19 pandemic. Jammu and Kashmir has currently 50,000 active cases of the disease and Srinagar district has the highest number of these. The valley continues to remain under a lockdown with curfew-like restrictions imposed in the 10 districts of the division with an aim to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

Kashmiri Muslims maintain social distancing as they offer Eid prayers inside a mosque in Srinagar.  (Photo by Waseem Andrabi/Hindustan Times)

Eid prayers were held in mosques but the majority of residents stayed at home following the Covid-19 containment guidelines. Muslims offer special prayers as a mark of thanksgiving to the almighty at the end of the month-long Ramzan fasting.

No big Eid gathering was reported from any part of Kashmir. City’s grand mosque - Jamia Masjid and Dargah Hazratbal, where thousands used to offer prayers on Eid, were locked as the mosque management committee had asked people to offer prayers at local mosques instead to avoid crowding at one place. This is the fourth consecutive Eid-ul-Fitr in Kashmir which is being celebrated in a sombre atmosphere.

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor (LG) Manoj Sinha extended warm greetings to the people on the occasion.

On late Wednesday night, grand mufti Nasir ul Islam announced the sighting of crescent moon and declared Eid on Thursday. Due to the existing curfew, many people were unable to make Eid purchases. Though on Tuesday, the administration had relaxed the curfew for a few hours which led to a rush in the markets and traffic jams, forcing authorities to withdraw the relaxation not only in Srinagar but also in other districts.

Last year, Eid-ul-Azha prayers were low key in view of the pandemic, while Eid-ul-Fitr prayers could not be offered in May due to a Covid-induced lockdown. Before that, Eid-ul-Azha prayers in 2019 could not be offered in Kashmir as authorities had imposed a strict curfew in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories.