Eid celebrated across India with prayers, feasts; peaceful protests seek end to West Asia conflict

New Delhi: Eid al-Fitr was celebrated across India on Saturday with special prayers for peace, progress and brotherhood at large congregations in mosques and eidgahs, followed by peaceful protests in several parts of the country condemning the US-Israel attacks on Iran and seeking an immediate end to the hostilities in West Asia.

From the busy lanes of Old Delhi to the eidgahs in Jammu and Kashmir and the bustling Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata, lakhs of faithful dressed in their best embraced each other and exchanged ‘seviyan’ to celebrate the festival that marked the end of the fasting month of Ramzan.

Greeting the citizens, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, “Best wishes on Eid-ul-Fitr. May this day further brotherhood and kindness all around. May everyone be happy and healthy. Eid Mubarak!” Chief ministers, including Omar Abdullah of J-K and Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, governors and other prominent leaders in different states also extended their greetings to the people, and attended the Eid festivities.

In Delhi, people flocked to mosques across the capital to offer namaz, embracing the spirit of unity and devotion, even as a blanket of fog hung over several parts of the city, creating a striking visual against the backdrop of mosque domes and minarets.

The sense of celebration was palpable as people exchanged greetings after offering namaz, with mosques such as the Jama Masjid, Fatehpuri Masjid, and those in Seelampur, Okhla and Nizamuddin witnessing a significant turnout.

Uttam Nagar in west Delhi, however, saw subdued celebrations, days after a clash on the day of Holi left a man dead and triggered communal tension in the area.

Heavy deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel was in place across Hastsal village, where the incident took place on March 4, with barricades at key entry and exit points and movement of outsiders restricted.

Despite the heavy security presence, residents said they offered prayers peacefully, though the celebrations were low-key this time.

In J-K, Eid was celebrated across the Union territory with the largest gatherings assembling at the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar, and the eidgah on Residency Road in Jammu.

However, the authorities did not allow Eid prayers at the historic Jama Masjid at Nowhatta in the Old City area of Srinagar for the seventh year in a row.

Terming the development “unfortunate”, Chief Minister Abdullah, who offered prayers at Hazratbal along with his father Farooq Abdullah, said, “On one hand, they claim that everything is normal, and on the other, they close the historic mosque. What kind of normalcy is this? I hope such decisions will be changed in future.” He also said the “illegal” war imposed by the United States and Israel on the world should end at the earliest.

While the authorities tightened security in the vulnerable areas of the Valley fearing anti-US and anti-Israel demonstrations after Eid prayers, people took out peaceful protests in several parts of Kashmir, condemning the attacks on Iran and calling for an end to the West Asia conflict.

Marches in solidarity with Iran were taken out in Budgam, Bandipora and other places, with protesters raising slogans against the US-Israel alliance and in support of the Iranian regime, carrying photos of its slain Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

Dressed in new clothes, Muslims of all ages assembled at the eidgahs, mosques and shrines across Uttar Pradesh to offer Eid prayers and exchange greetings.

In Lucknow, the main congregation was held at the Aishbagh Eidgah, where a large number of worshippers offered namaz, with special prayers for peace, progress and brotherhood around the world.

Leaders from different communities, including Christians and Sikhs, also attended the gathering, sources said.

Political leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, state Congress president Ajay Rai, and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma visited the eidgah and extended their greetings to people.

Reports from Sambhal, Kaushambi, Deoria and Amethi indicated that the festival was celebrated peacefully amid tight security.

Some worshippers were seen offering prayers wearing black armbands to protest against the attacks on Iran.

Similar peaceful protests marked Eid celebrations in various parts of Rajasthan, with members of the Muslim community demonstrating in Jaipur and other districts.

In Jaipur, women and children took out a march, raising slogans against the US and Israel and expressing grief over the reported deaths in Iran.

Similar demonstrations were also reported from Sikar and Ajmer, where people offered Eid prayers wearing black bands as a mark of protest.

Black flags were also put up at some mosques, amid anti-US and anti-Israel sloganeering.

Despite the protests, Eid prayers were offered peacefully across Rajasthan, with people praying for peace and greeting each other.

Peaceful protests were also held in Madhya Pradesh, where many Shias refrained from celebrating Eid denouncing the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

However, members of the Sunni community celebrated the festival with fervour by flooding the eidgahs across the state.

In Bengal, Eid carried added political significance this year as the state is headed to a high-stakes Assembly polls next month.

The annual congregation on Red Road in Kolkata – one of the largest in eastern India – offered the parties an opportunity to reach out to the state’s sizeable Muslim electorate, which constitutes around 30 per cent of its population.

Addressing worshippers after Eid prayers on Red Road, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led Centre of attempting to “snatch away the voting rights” of people through the special revision of electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly polls.

In neighbouring Odisha, thousands of devotees flocked to mosques and eidgahs across the state to offer prayers and celebrate the occasion after month-long fasting.

Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik extended their greetings to the Muslim community on the occasion.

In Bihar, carrying forward a tradition followed by his father, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar joined thousands of people in offering namaz at the historical Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

Nitish Kumar, who is likely to step down soon following his election to the Rajya Sabha, did not turn up at the event, where the 'namazis' gave a warm welcome to 44-year-old Nishant, who joined the JD(U) headed by his father a fortnight ago.

The southern states also celebrated Eid with Muslims in large numbers thronging mosques and eidgahs in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

In Hyderabad, the historic Lad Bazar near Charminar came alive with the presence of thousands of people immersing themselves in the festivities.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy greeted people on the occasion.

In Andhra Pradesh, Governor S Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and opposition leader Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy conveyed Eid greetings to the people of the state.

Eid was also celebrated across Karnataka, with thousands offering prayers at mosques and eidgahs.

In Bengaluru and other major cities, people flocked to mosques in large numbers early in the morning to offer namaz, before visiting their relatives and friends.

The markets wore a festive look, with brisk business reported in garments, sweets, and accessories in the run-up to the festival.