For the last few years, Lahoriites used to throng markets and shopping Malls on chand raat for Eid shopping. The shopkeepers are expecting huge turn over in their Eid sales on chand raat.
The shops of readymade garments, shoes, artificial jewellery, sweets etc were seen full of shoppers. Cavalry Ground, Liberty, Fortress, Anarkali, Neela Gumbad, Allama Iqbal Town, Ichhra, Panorama Centre, Pace and Moon Market were the main places where people were seen in a large number.
The bangle markets in the City were packed to capacity and the girls and women in a large number were there to choose their favourite and matching sets. The Bano Bazar, Old Anarkali Bangle Bazar, Choori Wali Gali, Liberty Market Bangle Street, Moon Market and Model Town Link Road were the main places as far as the bangle shopping was concerned.
"We always come to Bano Bazar to buy bangles and mehndi on the eve of Eid", remarked teen-aged Maryam Afzal, who visited this market along with her family members.
The children with their parents in good number were busy in selecting their favourite shoes, ready-made suits and other items in the markets. The city also witnessed worst traffic mess at various roads due to large number of vehicles, though the traffic police officials remained busy for smooth traffic flow.
The problem of vehicles' parking reached alarming proportions as one could hardly find any place to walk outside the shopping centres and even in the bazaars.
The car-lifters of the City District Government also played hide and seek outside the shopping centers in provincial capital with the violators due to rush of vehicles. The worst traffic mess was witnessed at the roads including Liberty Market, Main Road Allama Iqbal Town, Mozang area, The Mall due to heavy rush of vehicles and the two-wheelers.
Beggars were also seen active outside markets and shopping Malls to collect charity from the faithful.
In the wake of devastation caused by massive earthquake in AJK and northern areas, the government has already asked the faithful to celebrate Eid ul Fitr, the culmination of the holy month of Ramazan, with simplicity. In Lahore, Eid prayers will be offered at nearly 1,000 mosques, Eidgahs, gardens, parks, playgrounds and open spaces.
The biggest Eid congregations will be held at the Badshahi Mosque, Data Darbar Mosque, Masjid Wazir Khan, Muslim Masjid, Jamia Ashrafia, Model Town Central Park, Jamia Al-Muntazar, Jamia Masjid Minhajul Quran, Jamia Masjid Nila Gumbad, Masjid-i-Shuhada and the Mansoora Jamia Mosque.
Eid ul Fitr is an occasion when people, no matter which economical group they belong to, sometimes, stretch beyond their means to celebrate this festival in style. However, there are still a good number of people who remain deprived to celebrate Eid due to lacking resources.