Muslims celebrate Eid in Kerala

Kozhikode, Oct 1 (IANS) Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, was celebrated with religious fervour in Kerala Wednesday.

The celebrations began early in the morning with thousands of Muslims gathering at mosques and Eidgahs, the special venues for prayers organised across the state.

In Kozhikode and Kochi, Eidgahs were set up on beaches apart from other locations. People were even seen offering prayers on the roadside in Kozhikode as everyone could not be accommodated in the venue.

'I think this year more people turned out for prayers at the (Kozhikode) beach compared to last year,' said Mohammed Sadique, who attended prayers at the venue.

In the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Eidgahs were set up at Chandrasekharan Nair stadium and Putharikkandam ground. Though prayers began at around 7.30 a.m., people were seen coming to the venues much earlier. Large number of women were also seen at the prayer venues.

Muslim families were also busy preparing elaborate meals to celebrate the festival.

'We are preparing chicken biriyani for lunch. In our region we also have special dishes like Alsa. This is a sweet dish prepared from wheat,' said Rubeena Ashique, a doctor in Kannur, north Kerala.

In the Muslim dominated north Kerala region, the prepartions for Eid had continued till early Wednesday. In Kozhikode, people were seen in shops well after Tuesday midnight making last minute purchases.