Eid: A Celebration for All

There is a particular distinction by which Eid is celebrated in the Malabar of Kerala . All the people are a part of this festivity and there is no distinction persay on the basis of religion.

It was celebrations galore this year with the festivity mood lighting up like ever before, starting the night before Eid-ul-Fitr. People from adjoining districts, families, friends all gather around at the beach for the reunion of the year. My friends decided to head to the Kappad beach, which was a 16 km drive from the city. What mattered the most was – all our friends were there, barring religion, culture or colour. The chit chat and retelling of fond memories went on till late midnight. But the next day was the big day.

On the dawn of Eid, all muslim households are up by 5, getting ready to dorn their new clothes, look good and smell nice. There is an Eid Gah, a special prayer gathering for Eid located at three different location in the city. That is the first cue of the day. After getting ready, all of us head to the Eid Gah. “What i like about coming the Eid Gah at the beach is that this is one place where you can meet up with your friends and catch up on them. I make it a point to make it to the Eid Gah at the beach every year”, says Nahla, who is doing her CA and is a resident of the city.

“There are no restrictions whatosever as to who comes to the beach on this beautiful day. I have been coming here for the past 4 years without fail, and i find it the best way to catch up with old buddies”, says Vaisakh, an engineering student in Bangalore who makes it to the city every year to reminisce with his old school mates.

No household should go hungry on a festivity like Eid. So it is seen to it that everyone gets their share of sumptuous meal. And by everyone, it doesn’t subject to just the muslims poor of the place. “We have always had the tradition of treating one another during our particular religion’s festivities. That is what makes us gel so well,” says Ruckiya, a Grandmother who has been making her special biriyani and Malabari delicacies for ages.

I head to my ancestral home in Mahe, a 63km drive from Calicut, to visit my relatives, which is another integral part of Eid. As i see the transition from city to village, the festivities are still bright and loud. Children dressed in the newest clothes, ladies looking pretty in their hindi-soap-opera-inspired lehangas and cholas and men chauferring around everyone from one place to another. Faizal, a father of two is making the most of this day and is of the opinion that, “This is one day all of us get together, and are able to visit all our family from far and close. And then our friends join us together for lunch, which is like so laid out and heart warming in these days of busy lives and hectic work”.

My lunch was at my paternal ancestral home, which is a quintessential Tharavad – the malayalee equivalent of a family bunglaow. Cousins, uncles, aunts, grandmother – everyone join in for the meal. The table is filled with alisa (a local delicacy), biryani, chicken fry, salads, pickle, chutney and whatever special is available for the day. The men have their fill first, after which the ladies gather around and the men serve.

The day continues with us visiting our neighbours, checking with the poor of the area, giving Zakat (the muslim custom of charity), visiting lost souls at the graveyard, being with family and friends – Eid is a festivity that gets the entire community together like does the other festivites of Kerala like Onam, Vishu, Christmas and like wise. All festivals are celebrated by everyone in equal grandeur and participation. I am in awe of the harmony. I am in pride of being a part of this culture.

Amusement Sans Electronics

Times have changed, but the old world charm still remains. As India goes into the 21^st century, we see the younger generation changing their lifestyles. Children nowadays prefer huge amusement parks with a variety of rides. The huge merry go rounds, torra-torra, water rides provide a different kind of thrill. But there was a time when children used to wait for the Mela (local fair) to arrive at their place to have such amusement. And these rides used to be operated manually.

When festivities arrive, Batla House in Delhi travels back to the days of yore as the streets are filled with shouts of laughter as children enjoy themselves on these rides. Burst a balloon, the Columbus swing, merry go round are all on the streets as immigrants from outside Delhi tent themselves for a couple of days to let relive those wonderful days.

Various food stalls also pop up for these festivities. Aloo tiki and pani puri being one of the crowd pullers

Chinese toys have also made their way onto the streets. A small boy looks on to buy a fake sword to role play the dozens of Indian mythology characters that have captured the animation industry in India

Sometimes these rides are a continuing family tradition. Gullu, 12, is operating the rides this year single handedly

The Columbus is one of the most popular rides on offer. Children look on waiting for their chance to get on this high octane rush ride as it goes from one height to the other

Breaking from the monotony of daily life, these fairs bring relief and a sense of enjoyment

These fairs become an occasion for young and old alike and guarantee a smile across their faces