GUWAHATI, May 25 - As mosques across the country remained closed on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of the Muslim community of Guwahati offered Eid-ul-Fitr namaz on Monday from the confines of their homes.
The markets in Guwahati were bereft of any festive buzz as people remained indoors. Police personnel were deployed as well to prevent public gatherings near the mosques.
�For the first time, people have offered namaz from their homes instead of visiting the mosques. I thank them for their sensibility,� the general secretary of Burha Jame Masjid Nizamul Hauque said.
A resident of Hatigaon, Hasnat Ali, said that the lockdown restrictions have dampened the celebratory mood as people mostly remained indoors. �The lockdown also led to a huge scarcity of seviyan in the city and many people did not get a single packet. Earlier, different types of seviyan used to be available at the market, but this time we didn�t even get a genuine variety. The prices also shot up because of it,� he added.
The prices of meat also went up on the eve of Eid. According to a meat seller near Lakhimi Nagar, Hatigaon, a broiler chicken with feathers intact was sold at Rs 250 per kg and a dressed one at Rs 350 per kg. �It adversely affected our business,� he said.
