Mass prayers on Eid after Cov dampener

Bhubaneswar: Following a break for two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Muslims across the state on Tuesday joined mass prayers at mosques and idgahs, braving scorching heat on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Besides sharing Eid greetings with friends and relatives, people enjoyed the authentic delicious to celebrate the occasion.
“Eid gives us the opportunity to relish a variety of food items like lachha, sewai and biryani with our near and dear ones every year. We were missing this feast and get-together a lot during the pandemic,” said Amique Azhar , a resident of Satya Nagar.
Police made elaborate arrangements to ensure that the festival is observed peacefully. In view of the scorching weather, several mosques and idgah committees in the city put up temporary tents for devotees to offer prayers in shade. Organisers were also seen distributing cold drinks to those who turned up for the special prayer.
Secretary of the Unit Four main Jama mosque committee here, Tehmul Hussain, said they had made all arrangements for a hassle-free prayer. President of the All Odisha Anjuman Islamia, Md Abdul Ahad, said the prayers were held smoothly in Cuttack. Governor Ganeshi Lal and chief minister Naveen Patnaik offered greetings to the people of the community.