Bohras to celebrate Eid ul' Fitr today in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Scores of Mumbaikars feel gleeful about having Bohra neighbours this time of the year. The reason is that a spread of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies arrives during community festivals.
The Dawoodi Bohras who observe a set calendar will observe Eid ul' Fitr on Friday. "It will be business as usual for most establishments run by us since we are a mercantile community," said Mustufa Kachwala, joint secretary of the Anjuman Shiate Ali.
This Ramzan, their spiritual leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin visited several mosques to lead prayers where he mingled with the masses. Festivities began on Thursday night as the womenfolk began to assemble items for Friday's feast. Murtuza Ali Rajkotwala, public relations manager for the Anjuman-E-Shiate Ali, said Bohra women love to cook traditional dishes which are served in a large 'thaal' for six or seven people to eat together. "Sweet and salty courses are served alternately. The meal may start with ice cream and go on to chicken or mutton kebabs followed by fruit salad or souffle, and again raan or biryani," he said. During the fast, the community opts for a light iftar of tea and biscuits before settling to dinner.
The Bohras do not observe the nocturnal Taraweeh prayer. Abdeali Bhanpurawala, executive secretary at Dawate Hadiyah, said the month of Ramzan is sprinkled with a generous shower of gifts from family and friends with the request to remember them in one's prayers. "We offer the maghrib (evening) namaz before breaking the fast while other sects do so in reverse order. Yet the essence of the faith remains the same," he says.
TOI reader Huseni Mahuvawala wrote to say that Dawoodi Bohras observe Lailat ul' Qadr on day 23 of Ramzan unlike Sunni Muslims who do so at the 27th roza. Shab e' Qadr is dedicated to the daughter of Prophet Mohammed, Bibi Fatima Zehra. "I made sure my little seven-year-old son kept awake and prayed all night along with us for Allah grants people the blessings they seek," said Rajkotwala.