Srinagar, August 20
Eid-ul-Fitr prayers were offered amid peace and tranquility across Jammu and Kashmir today. Thousands of Muslims across the state offered prayers as thanksgiving after the end of Ramadan.

In Srinagar and other towns of the Valley, locals started gathering at Eidgahs since early morning. After offering prayers, people greeted and hugged each other. Children and youth wearing new clothes added special colour to the Eid festivities. Muslims eat lunch on Eid-ul-Fitr after 30 days of fasting during Ramadan. Authorities had made special security arrangements at various Eidgahs in the state to ensure peaceful conduct of the prayers. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and members of his Council of Ministers joined devotees in offering prayers.

The Chief Minister offered prayers at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Reports said Eid prayers were offered peacefully in district headquarters of Ganderbal, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara, Badgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag.

In Kargil district of the Ladakh region, Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated on Sunday. All senior separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Shabir Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Muhammad Nayeem Khan were placed under house arrest in Srinagar. The police said it was done to maintain law and order during the festival. The authorities have been preventing the separatist leaders from addressing large public meetings since the 2010 summer unrest in which 107 people had died in bloody clashes with the security forces.

An embrace to extend Eid greetings.	A child accompanies his mother to a mosque.
Women attend a congregation to mark the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims.	A girl takes a picture of devotees offering prayers at an Eidgah in Srinagar.
The devout offer ‘namaz’ in Srinagar.	A girl takes a picture of devotees offering prayers at an Eidgah in Srinagar.