Eid-ul-Fitr is family time for MLA Mohiudeen Bava

MANGALORE: With a lamb from Chitradurga and a master chef from Bangalore, it was a celebration well-suited for Eid-ul-Fitr that marked the end of a month of fast at Mangalore City North MLA Mohiudeen Bava's ancestral house in Chokkabettu on Tuesday. The sumptuous feast comprised tasty biriyani, fried chicken, mutton curry, soft idlis, parottas and sheer korma.
The joy was a bit overshadowed as Bava missed his mother Aisamma who passed away last year."Eid has always been an occasion where all brothers and sisters come together," said Bava.
This year there was one absentee- Bava's brother Shaukath Ali who stays at his mother's house. "Shaukath has gone for umraah and he will return on Wednesday," said Mumtaz Ali, Bava's younger brother. His void was filled by his five children.
Bava is the eldest of eight siblings. He is followed by Farooq, Shaukath, Zeenath Begum, Mumtaz Ali, Hyder Ali, Shehnaz Begum and Haneef Mohammed.
When asked how the day started for the family, he said, "After morning prayers at a masjid, we went to the Idgah for the 8 am namaaz. Then we paid respects at our parents' maqbara. Later, we visited all our cousins, uncles and relatives. By the time I came back it was 12.30pm, the time for lunch with family," said Bava.
There was laughter and zest of the feast all around the massive house.
When asked why Bava, who always dresses up in white, was donning a black sherwani and a bright maroon bandhgala waistcoat, his brothers said in half-jest, "He is a politician who wears white throughout the year. He wanted to be different today."
Bava nodded grudgingly with a thin smile, clutching onto his cellphone which was keeping him busy from the morning. He was wished by CM Siddaramaiah and former CM SM Krishna among others.
"Eid lunch is always at my parents' house. Dinner will be at our respective in-laws houses. I will be in Mulki at night," said Bava.
The house was chock-o-block with 18 children of Bava's five brothers and two sisters. All were wearing new dresses to suit the occasion. While two were lucky to get diamond necklaces, one got an Emporio Armani watch.