Eid at Jumma Masjid in Ahmedabad

This is for M.

We didn't have a holiday on Eid in office, but I was keen on having one for myself. Taking the second half of the day off, I drove off to the old city. After many evenings of mayhem in the buildup to Eid (had visited the same area for some night photography a few days earlier), the streets were deserted and most shops closed. A few seen walking were beautifully dressed, and were only hurrying to reach the homes of their relatives, friends and loved ones.

A lone man praying...

I knew where I wanted to be, and it was the iconic Jumma Masjid, located right in the center of old Ahmedabad. Its one of the most enduring  landmarks of the town, yet the approach to the mosque is absolutely unmarked; and if you are not looking for it, its likely that you will miss it. The guards took no notice as I walked into the sprawling complex with my backpack and tripod.

The most mischievous kid of them all, it was impossible to contain his energy!

The little girls showing off their pretty Eid dresses

Mother and son...time for blessings...

I don't quite remember the song they were dancing on, but this reminds me of Sridevi from 'Chandni'

The mosque has been a favorite with the locals as well as travelers for ages. As a design student a few years back, I discovered how rewarding the mosque was for a photography enthusiast and since then have been visiting it regularly; sometimes to click images, sometimes to just sit in the corridors and look at the life passing by, sometimes to write. Photography was on my mind, but I was busy writing till a group of young kids came to me and wished me Eid. As I took my camera out and started clicking them, their questions started.

An old man sleeping, he never got up while I was there

The old man again (no, he wasn't dead, just sleeping)

Another old man getting ready for the prayers

Though I was initially taken for a Muslim (I often look like one), the eldest girl in the group later asked me about my faith. I said I had none and this took her by surprise, though she declared that I must be a Hindu. Nothing dampened the mood though, they told me about the eedi they got, and their evening plans. They all insisted that I click them while they dance to the popular Bollywood numbers. As it dawned on them that I was perhaps a kafir, they sang a Meera bhajan and danced on that as well...right in the mosque! I was delighted, and this somehow also made me proud of my city. Despite a difficult recent history, people somehow managed to co-exist beautifully.

I just like the reflections in the water...

Another man going through the ablutions before prayers

I had hopes that the afternoon prayers would bring in huge crowds, but that never happened. The kids dispersed as it was time for them to go back home and get ready once again for the evening, and I walked around aimlessly for long. Quite unusually I met Saurabh, a singer-director in-the-making, another amateur photographer studying at CEPT and a couple of French dudes doing a world tour on bikes.

Two young boys getting ready for the prayer

I was happy with how the day went, and had something to share with my loved ones as well. A new bag, few jottings on the notebook, some images and an Eid story.