Mangalore abuzz with Eid-eve revelry, last-gasp shopping

Mangalore, September 9: With the proclamation of Eid, the city as well as the suburban pockets including Jeppu, Ullal, Kallapu and Thokkottu woke up to a new spell of frantic activity, with the festivities of the morning on top of everyone's mind.

People had to step up their preparations for the festival by a notch as hardly any time was left for last-minute purchases, including grocery, cloth, sweets and vegetables. The fancy stores in Hampankatta were virtually mobbed by women, with children also vying for their share of the pie!

The masjids had been decked up with lighting and buntings, while the hoardings of greetings were seen erected across the city. The one hoarding erected near Thokkottu, in which four Christian friends had extended greetings to their Muslim brothers stood out from the rest.

Kudroli buzzed with activities ever since the Maghrib prayer as Royal Friends had begun their annual Fithrah distribution and needy people had swarmed the venue within seconds.

The roads were decorated with lights while masjids in Kasaigalli, Kandatpalli, Jeppu, Kallapu and Kudroli were lit up giving them an entirely new look.

The replicas of crescent and star attracted curious onlookers on JM Road, while there was a beeline of customers near Saleem Store and the adjacent meat shop.

Hampankatta and central market areas were also awake late into the night, facilitating last-minute festival buying and other related activities.

Tailoring shops were also seen swarmed with customers, while outlets in Empire Mall and Bharat Mall extended their closing hours to attract upmarket customers.

The burkha-clad women moving from one shop to the other in search of festival dresses and footwear was a common sight in and around Hampankatta from the morning.

Even in places like Kankanady, shops remained open in Shalimar Complex, Mangalore Gate and Kuneel Complex, making nth-hour business.

Buying Kurtas, topis and perfumes were also a common sight across the downtown Mangalore, while women were seen huddled inside their homes applying mehandi.

Children seemed to enjoy the hype a lot with many young kids vrooming in cycles with friends on toe. Qawwalis were being played through loudspeakers in places like Kudroli and Bunder.

People were also busy exchanging advance Eid Mubaraks even amidst their last-gasp purchases, while the mobiles kept buzzing with in-bound texts carrying greetings from the known and the unknown friends.

But a sudden burst of rain just after midnight, dampened the spirits of the hard-core revelers a bit, but with more important tasks lying ahead, it was just the kind of break they actually needed.