Odisha celebrates Eid with pomp and gaiety; no mass prayers in Sambalpur 

Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated by Muslims with great pomp and enthusiasm across the nation. The festival is also being celebrated with equal fervor across Odisha.

Eid or Eid-Ul-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan. During the month of Ramzan, Muslims hold Roza (fast) from dawn to dusk. On this day, they thank 'Allah' for bestowing His blessings on them. They wear new clothes, prepare mouth-watering delicacies like biryani, kebabs, and several sweet dishes and donate whatever they can to the needy and poor.

Muslims across Odisha offered prayers at the mosques and embraced each other and greeted each other with ‘Eid Mubarak’. Then they exchanged pleasantries. 

In the Millennium city of Cuttack, a large number of people congregated at the Eidgah ground near Qadam-E-Rasool mosque and offered mass prayers. In the capital city of Bhubaneswar, thousands of Muslims congregated at small and big mosques. 

In order to ensure peaceful observance of the festival, the administrations in districts like Cuttack, Balasore, and Bhadrak made ample arrangements. Extra forces were deployed in areas near mosques to ensure peace and maintain law and order. 

However, in Sambalpur city, there were no mass prayers as curfew restrictions are still in place following the violence that occurred on April 12 and 14. Instead, prayers were held in small batches at mosques in the city.