Navigation

Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: January 11: It’s the moment to revel, to remember and cherish God’s precious gifts to human kind. The Muslims of the country are celebrating Id-Ul-Azha, commonly known as Bakr-Id, today. The festival is marked by sacrificing a herbivore (goat, sheep, buffalo or camel) to please Allah. Fatima lives with her family in Koperkhairane and we found out what’s different about this day and how significant this day is...


Kaneez Fatima is relaxing after a hectic day. She woke up early in the morning today to offer prayers to the Lord and prepare the delicacies like Sevaiyan, Biryani, Sheer Khurma, Seekh Kebab…and the list just goes on endlessly. She beams, “Today is certainly a different day for us. Besides the fact that we sacrifice a goat the festival is associated with forfeiting your loved ones and prizing your most valued possession.”

Ask her how they celebrated it and his 20-something zealous kid, Waseem Shaikh volunteers to explain, “We got two goats a few days back. Actually, it largely depends on a percentage of your income so there are others who just buy one and a fewer who buy more. Early in the morning the men offer a special namaaz at the mosque and only after that is the goat slaughtered.” He doesn’t stop, he just goes on with immense excitement to elucidate further, “We read verses from the Koran before and after we sacrifice the goat. The person in whose name this sacrifice is being made is supposed to fast till he eats the ‘kaleji’ (heart) of the animal after which it’s broken.”

We turn back to Fatima to know more about the celebration and just then an eleven year old sweet little Tasneem Shaikh, Waseem’s younger sister, comes out to the living room almost in tears. Fatima laughs off, “It’s just a part and parcel of the entire festival. According to the rituals, we have to part off a third of the goat to our friends and relatives. So, it gets very tedious for these kids who have to go up down, here there the whole day. She’s just tired.”

Are there not any community celebrations in Navi Mumbai? “There are many who prepare mandaps and people from various places come together for the holy sacrifice. Also, there’s one Noor Complex close-by where you can find community celebration. There could be several others around in Navi Mumbai too. Otherwise, we do it at home, prepare sweets and greet each other,” says Waseem.

Now, it was Waseem’s turn to offer the meat to his friends nearby and Fatima had to turn to kitchen to ensure that her yummy delicacies are prepared on time. The aroma had already embraced the home…we wished them ‘Eid-Mubarak’ and left after relishing a bowlful of sevaiya…


Swati Pandey