Joyous mood prevails on Eid

Eidul Azha was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in the city.
From conventional prayers at mosques to the sacrifice ritual, the spirit of sacrifice, piety and brotherhood and family feasts, the mood was joyous in the city.
“I woke up early in the morning, cleaned my teeth with a toothbrush, took a bath, wore the best available clothes, applied perfume and said goodbye to my parents for going to namaz. Once the prayers concluded, we hugged each other and wished ‘Eid Mubarak’. Spreading love is the feeling behind this auspicious day,” says Najeebul Hasan, a student.
“We performed our ritual of sacrificing animal at home. The meat was divided into three equal parts -- one for the poor, another for relatives and the third for the family which offered the sacrifice,” says Najaf Ali, a government employee.
“With the sacrifice ritual over, it was time for festivities. Dressed in new clothes, our festive best, all our relatives visited each other where they gathered for family feasts. We also visited friends to share delicacies and sweets,” says Imdad Hussain, a media person.
Appetising aromas wafted through the lanes and by-lanes of the city. The cuisine on offer both for the lunch and dinner was mutton ‘biryani’, ‘karahi gosht’, ‘pulao’, ‘korma’, fried ‘kaleji’, ‘shami kababs’ and much more.
For housewives, Eidul Azha means spending time in kitchen preparing delicious delicacies for the family. "We have prepared ‘korma’, ‘karahi gosht’, ‘biryani’, ‘achari gosht’, and mutton stew. We are expecting guests and preparing for their welcome," said Mrs Taqi and her daughters Fatima and Fizza, who live in Chaklala Scheme III.
“For guests, there are lip-smacking desserts like ‘sevaiyan’ and ‘kheer’, topped up with generous amounts of dry fruits for added flavour,” they add.
“I will prepare a variety of sumptuous dishes.” Unlike Eidul Fitr, which is celebrated at

the end of Ramzan, Eidul Azha is not about sweet dishes. It is mostly about dishes made of meat and I too am planning a few nice dishes for the occasion," says Abida Naqi, a housewife.
“The atmosphere was one of celebrations on the first day of Eid. As a child, Eid was that time of the year when we got new clothes and ate good food," recalls Ghayyur Ali, a visiting professor at a private university.
Zabeehul Hasan, a final year medical student at a medical college, says, "It is a day to enjoy and have good food. You get to meet family members and relatives. Of course, the prayers in the morning take care of the spiritual aspect of the festival.”
The grandeur of Eid parties notwithstanding, it's the personal touch that has faded away over the years, say many. "There was a time when our place would be full of relatives on any Eid day but today, only a few people make it to our place," rues Mansoor Ali. "While some are hard pressed for time, some have work to attend to and with technology, it has become easy to greet people either through an SMS or through phone calls," adds Khan.
"Today, there's a lot of pomp and show on the occasion of festivities. People's spending power has increased and the end result is lavish feasts.
Eidul Azha reminds us of our duties and responsibilities towards humanity for serving the Almighty. This gives us the impetus to help the downtrodden by cutting back on our daily needless expenses,” says Ashiq Hussain, a school teacher.