Nabeel Rashid arrived in the city from Chennai on Monday. From 11am on Wednesday, the 28-year-old was out with his family at Esplanade and New Market, shopping for Id. They were not done yet when The Telegraph met them around 5pm.

“I wanted to be with my family for Id,” said Nabeel, who was accompanied by his parents and sister.

Mohammad Safi Alam, 25, had asked for an early leave from office on Tuesday. In the evening, he was in Chitpore looking for a kurta with wife Pooja Singh for the Id prayer.

Shoppers near Nakhoda Masjid on Tuesday Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Id shoppers were seen across the city, undeterred by the sweltering weather. While shopping, some entered their favourite eateries for a plateful of biryani or other delicacy.

“Since I came to New Market, I decided to have biryani at Aminia. I managed to get in before a long queue formed,” a youth said.

A stretch of Rabindra Sarani was blocked and turned into a pedestrians’ zone. The stretch was teeming with shoppers on Tuesday evening.

A food stall near Nakhoda Masjid Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Shoes, kurta-pyjama, salwar kameez, skullcaps, perfumes and sweets — everything was moving off the shelves. Men of all ages made a beeline for kurtas.

In the afternoon or early evening it was not clear yet whether Id would fall on Wednesday or Thursday. Around 7.50pm, the Nakhoda Masjid announced that Id-Ul-Fitr moon had been sighted and Id would be celebrated in Calcutta on Wednesday.

The Masjid-E-Nakhoda Markazi Rooyat-E-Hilal Committee, comprising Islamic scholars and maulanas and one trustee of the mosque, made the announcement.

But even before that, kebabs and Shahi Tukda, a sweet dish, were selling without a break on Zakaria Street. Taskeen, which is famous for Chicken Changezim (a type of fried chicken), was struggling to serve the huge crowd that gathered outside the shop.

Another food stall near Nakhoda Masjid Picture by Pradip Sanyal

People were buying sewai, Bakarkhani (a type of bun), Sheermal (a type of sweet bread), dry fruits and fruits.

Alam, who had come from office for shopping, picked up some fruits to break his fast. “I asked for an early leave from office. I picked up some fruits from a shop to break my fast and then started hunting for kurta-pyjama,” he said.

Alam said they would make biryani, laccha and sewai at home. “A few of my colleagues will come over tomorrow evening to celebrate Id,” said the employee of a private bank.

Outside New Market, Nabeel and his family bought haleem and a few parathas before returning home. The family had bought garments and shoes since morning. “I arrived in the city last evening. My sister has also come home from Gaya, where she is studying for MBBS,” Nabeel said. “Every year, I make it a point to come home during one Id.”

Mohammad Siraj Ansari and Rehana Parveen had come to New Market with their seven-year-old son Mohammad Zian Arhab and one-year-old daughter Afizah Zaina. “We bought some stuff from Treasure Island and New Market,” said Ansari.