Delhi: Coronavirus dampens festive mood on Eid al-Adha

People wore masks, carried their own mats and avoided hugging each other, he said. Mohammad Riyaz, 32, who sells mobile accessories outside the mosque, said he did not have money to buy a sacrificial animal this year as he could barely earn enough to feed his family.

The festive spirit of Eid al-Adha was subdued in the national capital on Saturday with the coronavirus pandemic badly hitting livestock sale for the festival of sacrifice and restricting many people to their homes. Despite just around 10,000 active COVID-19 cases in Delhi -- far better than what was feared -- and easing of lockdown restrictions, many faithful preferred offering 'namaaz' at their homes than visiting mosques. Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid in the old city area attracted sizable number of people for the early morning namaz.

"People wore masks and observed social distancing. The mosque was full but the number was less than previous years, as people were not allowed to offer namaaz on the street," said Shahi Imam Mufti Mukarram of Fatehpuri Masjid. "Eid al-Adha means the festival of sacrifices. We prayed for relief from the virus, peace and growth of the country and thanked the authorities for allowing namaaz at the mosques with precautions," he said.

Those who offered prayers at mosques said fewer number of people had turned up there, and the mood was not as ebullient as previous years. Outside the Jama Masjid, the Delhi Police put up signboards requesting people to wear masks and ensure physical distance while offering namaaz.  Imtiaz Ahmad, who offered prayers at the mosque, said the turnout was way less than before when the crowd would spill on the streets too. People wore masks, carried their own mats and avoided hugging each other, he said.

Mohammad Riyaz, 32, who sells mobile accessories outside the mosque, said he did not have money to buy a sacrificial animal this year as he could barely earn enough to feed his family. "I know many people who could not make animal sacrifice this year. Bakr Id is incomplete without the annual ritual. There is nothing we can offer our friends," he said.

Yameen Ansari, a resident of Jamia Nagar who offered prayers at Jamaat e-Islami Hind Markaz in Azu Fazal Enclave, said though some people stepped out of their homes, unlike Eid Ul Fitr in May, the festive spirit was dim. "People could step out as things are under control in Delhi. Still, they were not as cheerful as before," he said, adding friends and family have been avoiding gatherings on the festival.

Abdul Noor Shibli, a journalist, who offered prayers at the Jamaat e-Islami Hind markaz, said it was the first time in four months that he went to a mosque. He said the mosque administration had deployed volunteers for thermal screening at the entry gates. "People wore masks and brought their own mats. Stickers were pasted on the floor to help them maintain distance," he said, adding the turnout was half of what it used to be during festivals in normal times.

Umar Sheikh Mohammad, the president of the Nizamuddin West Resident Welfare Association, said he offered prayers at a nearby mosque but the crowd was thin. The 51-year-old businessman, however, said offering 'qurbani' was not that easy as business was down. COVID-19 has hit businesses. People who could afford four goats till last year don't have enough money to buy even one this Eid, he said, adding, "It was also not easy to purchase a goat and bring it home, as there are restrictions on the sale of livestock due to the pandemic."  "A large number of people could not buy a sacrificial animal because the pandemic-induced economic crisis has rendered them jobless," Mohammad said.

Mohammad Izhaar, a goat seller at the famous sarpine market near Jama Masjid, said Bakr Eid has been insipid. Every year he sold around 15-20 goats on Eid al-Adha. This year, he has sold only four, that too at a loss. "It (the pandemic) has sucked the life out of us," he said woefully. In a world without the coronavirus, the sale of goats would have fetched Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000, but this year they were sold at half the price, Izhaar said.

Zaid Malik, who sells footwear in the Meena Bazar adjacent to the Jama Masjid, said he had not earned enough to buy an animal, offer sacrifice, and distribute the meat among the needy this year. "A goat costs around Rs 10,000. We cannot think of one. Small businesses are struggling to survive," he said. "I could not pay my employee Ifran his full salary over the last few months. So, I decided to pay the remainder of his salary on Eid." PTI GVS NSD