Post prayers, feasts garnish Odisha Eid celebrations

Muslims across Odisha Friday celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan with religious fervour.

Large congregations of Muslims were seen in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Bhadrak, Balasore and Sambalpur towns with the devout packing into mosques, Eidgahs and open grounds to offer prayers.

Hindu families visited the houses of their Muslim friends, greeted them and joined in the special community feasts on the occasion.

"We prayed for communal peace, universal brotherhood and removal of human suffering," Abdul Bari, president of the Chauda Mahala Muslim Jamat in Bhadrak, about 150 km from here, told IANS.

Governor S.C. Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and state Congress chief Jayadeb Jena were among the prominent people to send greetings on the occasion.

Elaborate security arrangements were in place in Muslim-populated areas of the state to ensure peaceful celebrations. There has been no report of any untoward incident from anywhere, the state police control room in Cuttack said.

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

Only 2.07 percent of Odisha's population of 41 million are Muslims.