Eid-ul-Fitr today

Excelsior CorrespondentSRINAGAR, May 2: Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the start of the Islamic month Shawwal, will be observed tomorrow across J&K after the completion of 30 days of the holy month of Ramadan which started on April 3.Earlier, the Shawwal crescent was not sighted, making it sure that the Eid will fall on Tuesday while Saudi Arabia along with several other Gulf countries celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr today.While the main attraction on the day of Eid remains Eid prayers usually conducted in an open space, the residents in Srinagar, however, expressed their anguish after the authorities decided not to allow Eid prayer on Eidgah grounds.“Eid namaz happens just twice a year, and to make the people happy, the authorities should have allowed it; unfortunately, they have not,” Gulzar Ahmad, a resident said.The bakery shops, meat shops and markets dealing with clothes and other items were also seen filled with people on the occasion and the women, children and youngsters were seen shopping late even after iftar.However, people complained of price rise and the failure of authorities in keeping a check on the violations and ensuring proper supply of the essentials. “Come Eid, as usual, we have seen a steep hike in the prices, even though the authorities are claiming to conduct market checks, but there is no change on the ground,” the locals said.