Eidi, New Clothes, Sewaiyan, And Peering Into Skies To Sight The Moon

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Some residents of the city recall their childhood memories of Eid celebration. They say Eidi, new clothes and shoes, sewaiyan and kebabs, guests at home, peering into the sky to sight the moon were the highlights of the Eid celebrations. On the eve of Meethi Eid, they spoke to Free Press and shared their childhood memories of the festival and its celebration. 

Excerpts: 

Only Eidi-giver now

Javed Khan |

The way festivals are celebrated changes with the time. And Eid is not an exception. Eid was different when I was a teen; it had changed by the time I started a family. Earlier, the families used to be joint. Now, they are mostly nuclear.

And that has made a big difference. I remember the night before Eid was full of feverish activity. Girls were busy applying mehndi to their hands and everyone was rushing to Chowk to buy that pair of shoes or that kurta that had somehow gone missing from the shopping list.

Eidi was a very part of the celebrations. Plans on what Eidi would be spent on were made weeks in advance. Of course, the amount was small but the happiness it gave us was great. I am now only an Eidi-giver. Those who used to give Eidi to me have left for their heavenly abode. On the Eid day, after namaz friends and neighbours came visiting and they were treated to sewaiyan and kebabs.  

– Javed Khan, eminent film actor 

Were allowed to eat paan 

Syed Jalaluddin Rizvi |

New clothes and shoes were of great importance for us children on Eid. Dresses were bought in advance but shoes were invariably purchased on Chand Raat or a day or two before it. We were very fearful of our Waalid but Ammi could be approached with all sorts of demands.

On the day of the Eid, we visited the homes of close relatives – Mamu, Khala and others – and demanded Eidi. The amount collected was spent on a fair that used to be held in the Ginnori area where we lived. We had a great time riding swings. We were allowed the luxury of eating paan only on Eid. Those were happy days. Today, we have all sorts of things but that happiness, that enjoyment is missing.  

– Syed Jalaluddin Rizvi, Olympian hockey player 

Watching sewaiyan being made

Mehrunnisa Parvez |

When I was a child, sewaiyan were not sold in the markets. Women of the family made them at home and began making them some days in advance of Eid. I was fascinated by the process and loved watching it. I used to insist that I should get a new dress on Eid.

But my mother used to tell me that it was not necessary that one should offer the special Eid namaz wearing new clothes. Even clean old clothes would do. On the last day of Ramzan, we children were asked to go to the terrace of the home and look for the moon. That was very exciting. Of course, there were many restrictions on girls. I always used to wonder why my brother could accompany Abbu to the mosque but I couldn’t.

– Mehrunnisa Parvez, author