How Eid Is Celebrated Now (2020s)
Eid-ul-Fitr — The Sweet Eid (Meethi Eid)
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of dawn-to-dusk fasting. The day begins with the Eidgah congregation prayer — massive open-air gatherings in parks, maidans, and the grounds of historic mosques. The Delhi Jama Masjid and Hyderabad's Mir Alam Idgah draw hundreds of thousands. The prayer is followed by the ritual embrace and greeting: "Eid Mubarak."
The defining food is sewaiyan / sheer khorma — sweet vermicelli cooked in milk with dates, nuts, and saffron. Every Muslim household in India, from Kashmir to Kerala, produces some version of it. Eidi — money given by elders to children — has undergone significant inflation: what was ₹10–50 in the 1990s is now ₹500–2,000+ in middle-class families.
Eid-ul-Adha — The Feast of Sacrifice (Bakri Eid)
Eid-ul-Adha commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. The ritual of Qurbani (animal sacrifice) divides the meat into three portions: one-third for the family, one-third for relatives and friends, one-third for the poor.
What Ibn Battuta Saw — Eid at the Delhi Sultanate (1334)
The 14th-century Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta left the most detailed pre-modern description of Eid celebrations in India — at the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq in Delhi:
"On the eve of the festival the Sultan sends robes of honour to the maliks, the courtiers, the chief officers of state... On the morning of the feast day all the elephants are adorned with silk, gold, and precious stones. There are sixteen of these elephants... over them are carried sixteen parasols of silk embroidered with jewels, each one with a shaft of pure gold... The great throne is set up at the upper end of the hall; it is of pure gold throughout, and its legs are encrusted with jewels. Its length is twenty-three spans... The great cassolette, which is a sort of tower of pure gold... Inside it are three chambers which are entered by incense-burners, who set fire to aloes-wood, ambergris and benzoin."
— Ibn Battuta, Rihla (1325–1354), Delhi section
The Sultan's Eid celebrations lasted seven days: Day 1 — feast and audience; Day 2 — musicians and dancers; Day 3 — marriages of royal relatives; Day 4 — emancipation of male slaves; Day 5 — emancipation of female slaves; Day 6 — marriages between slaves; Day 7 — distribution of alms.
Regional Eid Cuisines — A Festival on Every Plate
| Region | Signature Eid Dish | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi / UP (Awadhi) | Nihari, Sheer Khorma, Biryani | Old Delhi's Jama Masjid area becomes a food market for days |
| Hyderabad (Deccani) | Haleem (Ramadan), Hyderabadi Biryani (Eid), Khubani ka Meetha | Haleem during Ramadan is a city-defining culinary event; Irani chai with Osmania biscuits |
| Kashmir | Wazwan (multi-course feast), Goshtaba, Rista | Eid in Kashmir is culturally distinct — the Wazwan is served at gatherings throughout the day |
| Kerala (Malabar / Mappila) | Malabar Biryani, Pathiri, Mutta Mala, Unnakaya | Strong Arab trade influence. Distinct from Mughlai cuisine. Coconut-based. |
| Bengal | Kolkata Biryani (with potato), Rezala, Firni | Kolkata biryani's potato is a legacy of economic adaptation during the colonial period |
| Mumbai (Bohra) | Dabba Gosht, Malida, Thaal (communal platter) | Dawoodi Bohra community has a distinct Fatemi calendar — no moon-sighting controversy |
Fun Facts & Things of Note
Diaspora — From Trafalgar Square to the Gulf
In the UK, Eid in Trafalgar Square draws over 20,000 people. Leicester, Birmingham, and London host massive community events blending Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi Eid traditions. Some UK school districts now recognise Eid as a holiday.
In the USA, "Eid festivals" have adopted the American suburban format — held at Six Flags, amusement parks, and convention centres. "Eid-gifting" has increasingly borrowed from the Christmas gift format (wrapped presents, gift trees), creating a hybrid practice that some embrace and others resist.
The Gulf labour diaspora — millions of Indian Muslim workers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar — celebrates Eid in severely constrained conditions: labour camps, shared flats, limited time off. This is the largest and least-documented Eid population. Workers who can afford to return home for Eid do so; those who cannot celebrate modestly, often separated from their families for years.
Artwork & References
Sources
- Ibn Battuta, Rihla (Lee 1829 translation) — Delhi Sultanate Eid (1334)
- Ain-i-Akbari (Blochmann 1873) — Mughal court Eid
- Mohammad-Arif, A. Salaam America: South Asian Muslims in New York (2002)
- Dale, S. Islamic Society on the South Asian Frontier (1980) — Kerala Muslim history
- Leonard, K. — Hyderabad Muslim social history
Food & Diet — Festival Table 🍽️
Eid-ul-Fitr & Eid-ul-Adha foods are as regionally diverse as Eid-ul-Fitr & Eid-ul-Adha itself. Below are the defining dishes, their local names, and regional variations.
| Dish | Local Name(s) | Region(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veg Gluten Nuts Sheer Khorma / Sewaiyan | Sheer Khorma, Sewai (Hindi/Urdu), Semiya Payasam (Tamil) | Pan-Indian Muslim communities | Sweet vermicelli pudding in milk with dates, nuts, and saffron. THE defining Eid-ul-Fitr dish. The first food eaten after a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting. |
| Halal Mutton Biryani | Biryani (Urdu/Hindi), Biriyani (Bengali), Biryani (Hyderabadi Dakhni) | Pan-Indian | Layered rice and meat. The regional variations are dramatic: Hyderabadi Kachchi Biryani (raw meat slow-cooked with rice), Kolkata Biryani (with potato and egg), Malabar Biryani (short-grain rice, coconut milk), Lucknowi Biryani (delicate, less spicy). |
| Halal Nihari | Nihari (Urdu) | Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad | Slow-cooked (often overnight) mutton or beef stew with bone marrow. Eaten on Eid morning after prayer, especially in Old Delhi. |
| Halal Haleem | Haleem (Urdu/Dakhni) | Hyderabad | GI-tagged Hyderabadi Haleem: wheat, meat, and lentils pounded and slow-cooked for hours. Consumed during Ramadan (especially for iftar) and served on Eid. An estimated ₹100 crore haleem economy in Hyderabad alone. |
| Halal Malabar Biryani & Pathiri | Malabar Biryani, Pathiri (Malayalam/Mappila) | Kerala (Malabar) | Kerala Muslim Eid: short-grain Khyma rice biryani with coconut milk. Pathiri — thin rice-flour flatbreads — are the traditional accompaniment. Distinct from Mughlai biryani traditions. |
| Halal Wazwan (Kashmir) | Wazwan (Kashmiri) | Kashmir | A multi-course feast of up to 36 dishes, served on Eid. Rista (meatballs in red gravy), Goshtaba (pounded mutton in yoghurt gravy), Tabak Maaz (fried ribs). |
| Halal Dabba Gosht (Bohra) | Dabba Gosht (Gujarati/Urdu — Dawoodi Bohra) | Gujarat, Mumbai | Bohra Muslim Eid: spiced mutton slow-cooked in a sealed pot. Served as part of the communal thaal (shared platter for 8–10 people). |
All dishes listed are traditional preparations. Ingredient availability, dietary restrictions (religious fasting rules, vegetarian/non-vegetarian, allergen concerns), and preparation methods vary significantly by community, caste, and family tradition.
Regional Similarities & Differences
Eid cuisine in India reveals the staggering regional diversity of Indian Islam. The common thread is biryani and sheer khorma — these two dishes appear in some form at every Indian Eid table, yet the preparation differs radically. Hyderabadi biryani (raw meat layered with parboiled rice — kachchi style) is structurally different from Kolkata biryani (cooked meat + cooked rice layered — pakki style, with a potato that is absent from Hyderabadi). Malabar biryani uses coconut milk — reflecting Kerala's geography — and is served with pathiri, not raita. Kashmiri Wazwan is a ritualised service with specific courses in specific order — more formal than any other Indian Eid meal. The Bohra thaal is eaten communally from a single large platter — an egalitarian practice with religious significance. Halal preparation is universal across Indian Muslim communities.
📜 Archive.org — Anglo-Indian & Mohammedan cookbooks (PD)
Attire — Clothing & Accessories 👗
Eid attire is the Islamic world's equivalent of Diwali new-clothes shopping. The hadith records that the Prophet wore his best clothes on Eid. In India, this translates into a massive seasonal surge in tailoring, kurta sales, and attar (perfume) purchases. New clothes are obligatory. White is preferred for prayer; colour for social visits.
| Garment / Accessory | Local Name(s) | Worn By | Region(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton Silk White Kurta-Pajama (for prayer) | Kurta-Pajama (Urdu/Hindi), Jubba (Arabic-influenced) | Men | Pan-Indian Muslim | Plain white kurta — often in cotton or cotton-silk blend — worn for the Eidgah morning prayer. Simplicity and cleanliness are the aesthetic values. |
| Silk Gold Sherwani (for visits) | Sherwani (Urdu) | Men | North India, Hyderabad | The formal Eid men's garment. Long embroidered coat over kurta-churidar. Gold or silver buttons. After morning prayer, men change from white kurta into sherwani for social visits. |
| Silk Gold Embroidered Salwar Kameez / Anarkali | Salwar Kameez (Urdu/Hindi), Anarkali Suit | Women | Pan-Indian Muslim | Heavily embroidered salwar kameez or the longer Anarkali-style kameez. In festive colours — green, maroon, gold, royal blue. Chikankari embroidery (Lucknow) is especially valued. |
| Cotton Silk Saree with Dupatta (for prayer) | Saree, Orhni (Urdu/Hindi) | Women | North India, Bengal | Many Muslim women wear sarees for Eid — often a silk or cotton-silk saree with a dupatta (long scarf) draped over the head for prayer. The saree-dupatta combination is distinctly South Asian Muslim. |
| Gold Jewelry Gold & Gemstone Jewellery | Jhumka, Haar, Bangles, Nath | Women | Pan-Indian Muslim | Eid jewelry is similar to Hindu festival jewelry but often with different motifs: crescent-moon designs, Allah pendants, and arabesque patterns. Hyderabad's pearl jewelry is especially associated with Eid. |
| Cotton Topi / Taqiyah (Prayer Cap) | Topi (Urdu/Hindi), Taqiyah (Arabic), Kufi | Men | Pan-Indian Muslim | The prayer cap — white lace or crochet for Eid. In Kashmir, the Karakul cap; in Hyderabad, the distinctive Hyderabadi topi. Worn during Eidgah prayer. |
| Attar (Perfume) | Attar, Ittar (Urdu) | Men & Women | Pan-Indian Muslim | Not clothing, but an essential Eid accessory. Non-alcoholic perfume oil — rose, sandalwood, oudh, khus. Applying attar before Eid prayer is sunnah (Prophetic tradition). Kannauj (UP) is India's attar capital. |
Garment styles, fabrics, and accessorising traditions vary significantly by region, community, class, and generation. Diaspora celebrations may adapt traditional attire to local climates and contexts. Traditional handloom textiles and artisanal jewelry are living craft traditions — not costumes.
Evolution Through Time
Pre-colonial Eid attire in the Mughal court was opulent — silk brocades, gold-thread embroidery, and jewel-encrusted accessories. The common Muslim population wore simpler handloom garments. The colonial period brought European tailoring influences — the modern sherwani is partly a colonial-era evolution of the Mughal angarkha. Post-Partition (1947), the migration of Muslim craftspeople (especially weavers and embroiderers from Lucknow, Delhi, and Hyderabad) scattered craft traditions across India. The late 20th century saw the rise of "Eid collections" from Indian fashion designers. Post-2000s: modest fashion movement — fusion of Islamic modesty principles with contemporary design, especially visible in diaspora Eid attire.
Regional Similarities & Differences
White for prayer, colour for celebration is the universal Eid dress code across Indian Muslim communities. Regional variations in garment type: North India (Delhi, UP) favours sherwani and embroidered salwar kameez; Kerala (Malabar) favours the mundu and kasavu-influenced attire; Kashmir has the pheran (long woollen cloak) and Karakul cap; Hyderabad retains nawabi influences in sherwani styling; Bohra community has specific attire (rida for women, distinct topi style). Attar is the universal Eid accessory — it's mentioned in hadith and cuts across all regional and sectarian differences.