Following the announcement of the central Ruet-e-Hilal committee regarding sighting of Shawwal moon and falling of Eidul Fitr on Sunday, women and children thronged bangle and henna stalls, while young men and other people rushed to shopping centres for Eid shopping on chand raat here on Saturday night.
Shoppers of all ages were seen in markets for nick of the moment shopping, in preparation of the joyous occasion of Eidul Fitr, combined with cool weather conditions.
All shopping centres and other outlets were illuminated with colourful lights. Shops selling ready-to-wear clothes were attracting big crowds, as traditionally people wear new outfits on Eid.
Shopkeepers at various markets of the Cantonment area, Cavalry Ground, Liberty, Fortress, Anarkali, Neela Gumbad, Allama Iqbal Town, Garden Town, Ichhra, Shah Aalmi Market, Panorama Centre, Pace and Moon Market said that after the official announcement regarding Eid on Sunday, unprecedented rush of shoppers was seen.
Heavy traffic choked the roads leading to various markets on the chand raat. Makeshift stalls have sprouted at big shopping complexes selling toys, colourful bangles and matching jewellery.
Women were also flocking to shops offering henna paste, traditionally used during the Eid. Bangles, though considered an obsolete ornament by modern and educated women, were in high demand as culture and tradition calls for inculcating local values in the Eid festivities.
A special Eid dish of vermicelli cooked in milk and sugar is a must in almost every home in Pakistan and all guests are obliged to taste it. Eidul Fitr is the only festival celebrated with great zeal by Muslims across the world.
The government has taken special security measures at shopping centres with reference to heavy rush of people for shopping.
For this purpose, markets and shopping centres' associations in collaboration with the police and administration made arrangements to help provide maximum facilities to visiting public.
Law-enforcing agencies have also chalked out special security plans for the protection of faithful in Eid congregations, which will be held over 500 places in the provincial metropolis at mosques, imambargahs and open places.
Moreover, Pak Women Welfare Organisation chairperson Begum Qamar Shaheen and Friends of Pakistan vice-chairman Adil Mehmud have urged Muslims to remember poor people in their Eid celebrations. They also asked the people to visit orphanage houses and disable people centres on Eid day.