Eidgah is not about Eid

 Eidgah is not about Eid.

It is not about Hamid. It is not about Eidi. It is not about Ameenah. And it is certainly is not only about Muslims.

It is about a 4 year old Hamid’s love for his grandmother and the sacrifice that he makes at a tender age on the auspicious occasion of Eid.

It is about the beauty of Munshi Premchand’s (Dhanpat Rai) understanding of human character and writing an outstanding story in 1933 about something that is universal. One can re-write the exact story, and just replace Eid with Diwali or Christmas or Hannukah or anything else that is a “happy celebration”.

To me, the story Eidgah is repeated several times in an year over several years in different settings, and in different parts of the world. And yes, often on a non Eid day.

It’s about something that some of us do every day, some often, and some almost never.

It is about love. It is about beauty. It is about the beautiful side of human nature,that is probably present in varying degrees in each one of us.

And for some of us, like me, who do not observe “Roza” it is a reminder that it is Eid, and it’s time for Cuckoo to read the story with her children, and to make sure she makes sevaiyian as part of the evening dessert.

I will definitely read the story now. This time, just by myself as my kids are in college now! Hoping to complete it without crying…I have done this for several years now, but never finished the story without sobbing!

Eid Mubaraq!