COVID shadows Eid celebrations in India

New Delhi/Srinagar/Thiruvananthapuram: Celebrations on Eid-ul-Fitr were subdued in Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday with no major congregational prayers and community feasts due to the coronavirus lockdown.
While Eid will be celebrated in the rest of the country on Monday, the festive buzz was missing as markets and other public places remained deserted, whether it was in Lucknow, Kolkata or the old Delhi areas as people mostly remained indoors.
Major mosques and idghas, which see tens of thousands of people offering namaz on Eid and then embracing each other, remained mostly empty perhaps for the first time on the festival as the government has prohibited all kinds of religious gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In his message, President Ram Nath Kovind asked citizens to reaffirm their belief “in sharing with and caring for the most vulnerable sections of society”. He also asked people to resolve to adhere to social distancing norms and all other precautions to stay safe and overcome the coronavirus challenge soon.
In Palayam mosque in Thiruvananthapuram, the cleric live-streamed the Eid prayers for the faithful.
Many joined their families and friends on video calls as lockdown restrictions prevented them from travelling. No mass congregations were held in major mosques and shrines of Kashmir as police enforced restrictions in most parts of the valley including Srinagar city, officials said.
The Kerala government had eased the curbs on Sunday in view of Eid, but the festival was shorn of its usual gaiety and not many people ventured out. (PTI)