IN PHOTOS: Ramzan fervour at its peak in Hyderabad

More than a lakh Muslims offered prayers at Hyderabad's historic Mecca Masjid on Jummatul Vidaa or the last Friday of Ramzan today.

With this the religious fervour of the devout reached its peak as they congregated in mosques with the mixed feelings. They were happy on near completion of the month of fasting and prayers and sad that the holy month was coming to an end.

As usual, the rows of the worshippers spread to all the surrounding roads and by lanes as the sanctum sanctorum and the sprawling court yard of the Mecca Masjid was packed with the Namazis.

The Namaz was led by the Iamam Shaikh Abdullah Qarmooshi Al-Azhari.

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The police had made elaborate security arrangements and the roads coming towards the Mecca Masjid complex was closed for the vehicular traffic from the morning.

Later addressing "Yaum-ul-Quran" meeting, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president and Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi exhorted the people to keep the spirit of piety, sacrifice and sharing, learnt during the month of Ramzan, alive throughout the year.

"Mosques should be as bustling and crowded throughout the year as they are during Ramzan", he said.

With both Lailatul Qadr (Night of Power) on the 27th night of Ramzan and Jummatul Vida behind them, the attention of the community will now be focused on shopping and preparations for the Eidul Fitr, likely to be on Sunday or Monday, depending upon the sighting of the new moon.

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The shopping areas of the city, especially Madina-Patthargatti-Charminar in the old city, Nampally, Mahdipatanam-Toli Chowki corridor in the new city were crowded with the Eid shoppers, specially during the nights.

Infact Madina-Charminar road had become so crowded with the thousands of temporary stalls and hawkers jostling for space with the shoppers that it will remain closed for the normal vehicular traffic for the remaining days of Ramzan.

However, this year the festivities and the excitement of Eid have been clouded by the news of the large scale communal violence in Assam and reports of ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Myanmar.

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These incidents were finding their echo in Hyderabad as large numbers of victims of the violence in Assam as well as Myanmar have reached Hyderabad to seek asylum.

Several Muslim organisations were mobilising donations and Zakat (2.5 per cent of the total wealth a Muslim has to pay every year to the poor and the needy) for the help of the victims of violence in Assam.

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