Communities celebrate in style (From Oxford Mail)

Communities celebrate in style

OXFORD hosted one of the largest Eid celebrations the city has ever seen.

Dipti Thakar at the celebration of Diwali at the Rover Social Club

And the city’s Hindu community has also celebrated Diwali in colourful style.

Oxford’s Hindu and Muslim communities celebrated two of the most important dates on their religious calendars this weekend.

The Hindu community marked Diwali, the festival of lights, with a dinner dance at the Rover Sports and Social Club, Roman Way, on Saturday.

And thousands of Muslims attended the Eid al-Adha prayers at the Kassam Stadium on Sunday.

Imam Dr Basil Mustafa leads Eid prayers at the Kassam Stadium

The Diwali dance, organised by the Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project, marked the end of the five-day festival with authentic food, folk and Bollywood dances and Bhangra music.

Padma Ramachandrappa, of Hollow Way, Cowley, who helped organise the event, said a wonderful time was had by all.

She added: “In some parts of India, Diwali is celebrated with great, great grandeur.

“It marks the beginning of the new year and presents are exchanged.We had a lovely evening. Everyone enjoyed the food and the dancing.”

Eid al-Adha prayers were held at the Kassam Stadium and at the North Oxford Association, Diamond Place, on Sunday.

Padma Ramachandrappa

The ‘Festival of Sacrifice’ is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide, which remembers the prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.

Mohanned Rahman, of Kennington, is a member of the Oxford Eid Society.

He said he believed the event, which was organised jointly with the Darussalam Trust, was the biggest Eid celebration Oxford had ever seen.

Mr Rahman added: “I have lived in Oxford for nine years and I have never seen anything on this scale.

“It is one of the most important events on the Muslim calendar.

“We started with prayers and then afterwards the children played games and enjoyed having their faces painted and playing on the bouncy castle while everyone ate food together and shared in each other’s company.

“It was a great celebration.”