The Story of a Kochiite and Her Memories of Eid in the City
- 05 Jul 2016
- Fathima AbdulKader
- Features
Shana is a girl who loves her hometown Fort Kochi and every tiny aspect of it. She has enjoys all the old and new Eid festivities in the city. She has now moved away and lives in UAE but holds her Kochi Eid memories closest to heart. She wrote for a friend’s blog talking about her Eid experiences through the years, as she knew it was her last one as a single girl before marriage. This is her story:
I love everything old school, and yesteryear's Eid was and always will be my favorite. Through the years many things have changed. But I'm still my old self. Our Eid activities begin with a round trip around Kochi the day before- a walk in the middle of the night among the stalls. The overall ambiance brings good old memories from my childhood.
In Kochi, pre-Eid or "perunnal raavu" is celebrated with great joy all around. Night stalls for food, toys, trinkets and everything required for Eid will be visible everywhere. There are few places in Cochin, known for the huge rush created during this time. And it is fun to visit these places. The night before Eid, a favorite activity for most girls (including me) is to get henna done on our hands. I have a friend who puts henna professionally and for every Eid I reach her house as soon as it is confirmed that the next day is Eid. A good amount of crackers are burst the night before Eid as well. Finally, the whole family ends up sleeping late. My Eid dress and everything necessary would be kept neatly by my side before sleeping. The excitement and happiness usually keeps me awake through the night.
The morning of Eid I wake up to sound of an alarm clock and the noises from kitchen of the Eid breakfast being made quickly before going to the prayer. The first thing I do is to check to see how dark my henna stain has gotten. One of my favorite part of Eid was attending the Eid Gah [The Eid prayer is performed in congregation in open areas like fields etc]. The Eid Gah I attended was always held in Parade Ground in Fort Kochi. There is something truly special about Fort Kochi, made of a million little things. I remember wearing my new Eid dress and walking towards parade ground with goose bumps. Eid Gah at Parade ground was about praying, meeting friends and family and greeting everyone saying "Eid Mubarak”. Everyone we knew would be there, all adorned in their new clothes, women with henna stained hands brimming with giggles and chatter. For some, it was about stealing secret glances and shared smiles. It was a place where we created unforgettable memories.
The reason that I started going to Eid Gah and other community prayers, were because of my late maternal grandfather who told me it was a platform to meet loved ones and taught us the lesson that “relationships won’t wilt if we make the effort to keep in touch.” After every Eid Gah prayer, he would take us out on a stroll through the dainty lanes of Fort Kochi, enjoying the climate and talking about every possible topic. This was followed by traditional sumptuous meals at our grandparent’s place with various meat dishes, and sweets.
Now the years have gone by and many things have changed, I live in another country, my maternal grandfather, who taught about the spirit of Eid and showed me the best way to have Eid in Kochi, has passed away. Even though Eid in UAE is celebrated at a larger scale with more fervor, Eid in Kochi will always be the closest to my heart.
Words and Images: Shahana Abdul Rehman
