Sholakia ready for largest Eid Jamaat

Kishoreganj Correspondent: The historic Sholakia Eidgah of Kishorganj is all set to host the country’s biggest Jamaat (congregation) of Eid-ul-Fitr. This year it will be the 190th Jamaat.

Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the two largest religious festivals of Muslims, will be celebrated across the country either on Monday or Tuesday, subject to moon sighting.

Maintaining the tradition, the biggest jamaat will seek bliss, peace and prosperity for the Muslim Ummah.

Deputy Commissioner Md Azimuddin Biswas said Eidgah is ready for Muslim Ummah. The security guard Police, RAB, BGB and DB will be active for the biggest Eid Jamaat.

The Eidgah committee has said they have completed all the preparations to hold the congregation. Maulana Farid Uddin Masud will lead the congregation, which will take place at 10am on Eid day.

District administration has been preparing the grounds, painting it and drawing up rows for prayers. Kishoreganj Police Superintendent and Deputy Commissioner said they have completed all arrangements for a hassle-free congregation.

Moreover, thousands of policemen will be deployed at the Eidgah and in surrounding areas to ensure security during Eid-ul-Fitr.

Muslims from home and abroad usually gather in the district town 2-3 days ahead of the Eid to attend the congregation.

The first Eid congregation on this ground was held in 1828 when a local Dewan, called Sayeed Ahmed (R) of Haibatnagar Dewan Bari of the town, conducted Eid Jamaat on one of the fields of his own ‘Taluk’ (revenue zone). This later became known in history as the Sholakia Eidgah.

The name ‘Sholakia’ comes from Shoa Lakh, meaning ‘one lakh twenty-five thousand’ being the number of people that had come to offer their Eid prayers at the Eidgah.
 
The surrounding area was also named Sholakia afterwards. Later, another Dewan, Mannan Dad Khan, gave 4.35 acres of land for the Eidgah in 1950. However, according to sources, the Sholakia Eidgah now has about 7 acres of land.
 
The Eidgah stands on the bank of the Narosunda River and is known throughout the continent for the large number of devotees who come here every year for saying their Eid prayers.




risingbd/June 24, 2017/Ruman/Mukul