Bonhomie, religious fervour mark Eid in Maha

Eid-ul-Fitr was today celebrated across Maharashtra with traditional fervour and zeal with Muslims thronging mosques to offer special prayers or 'khutba' even as heavy rains lashed Mumbai and other parts of the state.
In Mumbai, makeshift tents were put up outside many mosques to cover people, coming to offer prayers, from heavy rains in the morning hours.
State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan greeted people on the occasion and wished for peace and prosperity in the coming year.
In his message, Governor K Sankaranarayanan said that the practice of giving away charity to help the poor and the underprivileged by Muslims in the month of Ramzan should be seen as an example and be followed by all.

The festival was marked by members of Muslim community greeting each other and sharing a special delicacy "sheer khorma" (a sweet preparation of milk, dry fruits and vermicelli).
Muslim men, women and children donning their traditional attire shared the bonhomie and also distributed gifts or 'Eidi'. To mark the festival, houses were decorated and special lighting was placed on them.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, prayed for peace in the Muslim world on the sidelines of the 'khutba' and advised the community members to work for the betterment of the nation.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first date of Shawwal - the tenth month of the Hijri calendar - every year.

In neighbouring Thane district too, the festival was celebrated with Muslims offering congregational prayers in areas like Mumbra, Dapodi and some parts of Kalyan town.
In Nashik district in north Maharashtra, prayers were offered in various mosques.
The mass prayer which has been traditionally held on the city's Golf Club ground every year was cancelled in the wake of water-logging due to heavy rains.
The festival was also marked with a similar zeal in powerloom town of Malegaon in the district.