Idi mubarak!

Neeti Mohan, singer

I have always been a very big fan of Id celebrations. Back in Delhi, we had Muslim neighbours and the matriarch of every family used to invite all the neighbourhood children over to their residence for sheer khurma. Then, they used to hand us money as our Idi and give us a lot of blessings. The most valuable Idi that I have given to someone is also something that happened in Delhi. My sisters and I had gone to a remote Muslim orphanage to celebrate Id with the kids there. We had taken along some homemade sevaiyyan and biryani and the kids were extremely happy — that was the most memorable Idi that I ever happened to give to someone.

Shakti Mohan, contemporary dancer I really love Id because of the spirit of the festival. All the joy, feasting, frolicking comes after a 30-day fasting period and I really respect the purpose of celebrating Id. The most memorable Idi that I have given is still fresh in my memory. So, there was this boy back in Delhi. He loved dancing but his father was of conservative values and felt that dancing would lead him to a wayward path. So my mother and I had personally gone to the boy’s residence and spoken to his father but he turned us away. Years after, I went on to win a dance reality show, and one day I received a call from the same boy saying ‘Shakti didi mujhe dance sikhaoge Papa ne haan kar di.’ I can’t express the joy that I felt that day. Besides that, one of the most memorable Idis that I’ve received is a kajal from a fan from Pakistan three years ago. I love Pakistani kajal a lot.

Raftaar, musician Firstly, Id Mubarak to everyone. I get a lot of fan mails especially from my Muslim fans on Id and they send me all kinds of gifts that include chocolates to assorted dry fruits and even CDs with recorded voice notes. But the one Idi that I still remember is a letter that I got from a Kashmiri fan along with an Id rap. She had written a very heartfelt letter to me stating that she doesn’t have the means to send me any gifts in the mail but only her love and support through her voice. I was so touched that I wrote back to her and promised her that I shall meet her once, when time permits and when I am in Kashmir. I am not sure if she got my letter but if not, I hope that she knows now that that’s my most memorable Idi.

Sachin-Jigar, music composers The best Idi we received was when we were performing in Lucknow a few years ago. We were invited by a Muslim friend for the celebrations where the Idgah was recited and it was such a touching moment as more than the material essence of the concept it was the traditional value of Idi that was highlighted. It was so thought provoking to see young minds being inspired instead of seeing them glued onto their gadgets.

Faisal Khan, actor and dancer I remember, during my Maharana Pratap days, since I was one of the youngest on set, all the directors and older actors on our show would give me a good amount of money as Eidi every year. I would happily collect it from all of them and smile gleefully through the day. I can’t really remember the exact amount they would give me, but it was amazing pocket money for me! So, I would always look forward to that, and it will always be a cherished Eidi memory for me!

Dipali Bhasin, founder of exhibition “My Best Friend in Me” I received a beautiful Eidi from a cousin last year who sent tickets to Dubai for me and my husband so that we could celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr there. Eid in Dubai is akin to a national concert, with an Independence day-level celebration. From the likes of Papon to Kailash Kher, international musicians were playing across all malls and public places and we even attended one. There were flash sales across malls and we indulged in shopping too. What made that Eidi memorable was the way we dug into local delicacies and relished sheep (instead of goat) with a special local marinade, chicken majboos and luqaimat — dough balls dipped in a date syrup.

Kailash Kher, singer My most precious Eidi is my talent, something that was given to me by God, Allah, Paramatma when I was born. And July 7 is my birthday too, so it is indeed the day I received this most cherished Eidi of my life. Eidi as a concept is something most people associate with material things — money, gifts I know Eidi is traditionally a token amount of money, but I personally feel that material things are not what is most important in life. In our country, there are many to whom God gave their talent as their greatest gift, their most precious Eidi, bade them to spread it far and wide and rise with it. I am among them and so, my talent and my music is and will always be my most cherished Eidi. As for the most memorable Eidi I have given, I will be giving my fans a new single today!

Dipika Kakar, actress I have got Eidi in the past from my co-star Shoaib several times, and from his parents too. Them giving me Eidi has always been extremely special. They always give me money, and it honestly feels like an exciting bit of pocket money that I then save up for an occasion and get myself something special with. I give Eidi too, to Shoaib’s younger sister Saba as well as Falak and Jyotsana who are my co-actors on set — all of whom are much younger than I am. I share a special rapport with each of them, and so I make it a point to make Eid special for them every year, so that they have many, many happy Eidi memories that they cherish and not just one.

Imran Abbas Naqvi, actor Some of my most memorable Id experiences are from when I was a little child. I still remember how I used to go to my grandparents’ home and spend time with them every year on the festival. They would give me and all my siblings Idi every year, and we would all be thrilled no matter how much money they gave us. We were children, filled with innocence and this annual Idi used to be something we would look forward to every year. I also remember how, at that time, we used to wait for actual Id cards and not wishes via emails or on WhatsApp — there were no cell phones and no Internet back then. All my siblings and I would be together, celebrate together, eat together things have changed now, but those Id memories are the closest to my heart. When Id comes again every year, it brings them all back to me along with a whole lot of nostalgia and remembrances.