Varanasi popularly known as Banaras, The holy city on the bank of Ganges is considered as the city of eternity and divine peace. It is home for both Hindus and Muslims. The down town has majority of Hindus and surrounded by traditional Muslim weavers of Banarasi sarees.
The morning of Eid is extravagant with decorated narrow streets of the city. The city was echoed with traditional Banarasi bhajans as Navaratras advanced. The flavour of true Banarasi traditional Eid is mesmerising: Eid in this city of temples is entirely different, despite being similar to the Eid elsewhere. At the Eidgaah people were united with love and peace, and sharing a gesture of real kindness.
After the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate first day of the following month as Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day they wear new clothes, offer Eid prayer early in the morning and wish each other a graceful Eid, give charity to poor, visit relatives and friends and serve special food (Sewai). They also give money to younger known as Eidee.
On Eid here in Banaras hundreds of people can be seen in burqa and wearing traditional Muslim cap and celebrating the festival on Ghats of Ganges. Priests of Hindus and Imams of Muslims also greet each other in public meetings, imam offers sewai to the preist and then they bless the community for peace and love.
“I just love Sewai, I like the way Muslims serve the Perfume (Itr).” Pt. Mohandev shares. Sewai is one of the main attractions of Eid. “We all celebrate all the festivals together our Muslim brothers accompany us in Holi, Diwali and other occasions. And let me share one more thing there are few people from muslim community who help us in organising Ramleela also during Navratra”, he says.
Abhay Mishra a lawer by profession says, “I am missing sewai this year, I could not visit to friend this Eid because of Navaratra. I have asked friends to make sheer sewai for me after Navaratra gets over.”
People also organise ‘Eid Milan Samaroh’ after the Eid is over. This is basically an Eid Party in which people meet each other on a community level and have a sewai and non-veg dishes party.
Aaloo-gobhi, chola-bhatura, khoya-matar paneer, dam-aaloo, kachauri, missi-roti and dahi bada were served on the platter this Eid, much to the delight of the Hindus, many of whom will not be able to savour non-veg dishes since the 10-day festival of Navratra had coincided with Eid.
Banarsi Dastarkhwan thus will have the menu for all. Shahid Nasar and his wife Kishwer Hasan were busy giving final instructions to their cooks. ‘‘The main party we throw on Eid has gone totally vegetarian this time as a mark of respect for our Hindu friends,’’ said Shahid. A majority of their friends and guests are Hindus, many of whom abstain from non-veg food during Navratra.
‘‘My guests must be served what they can savour,’’ said Iffat Ambareen. The veg recipes will be served in separate dining areas inside their home. That, of course, doesn’t mean that their Muslim guests, friends and relatives will have to do without the murgh-biryani or shaami kababs.
The main charm of Eid, however, remains sewain — ‘Quimami sewain’, ‘Sheer Sewai’ and ‘doodh-wali sewain’. To suit the needs of those fasting during Navratra, the sewain too is being prepared inside a vegetarian ambience in their house.
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