Couldn’t help but share this beautiful story Idgah by Munshi Premchand today on Eid. A beautiful story of love, kindness and sacrifice on the festival which is marked by these beautiful emotions!

Hamid, 4 years of age, is a very poor boy. He lives with his dadi(grandmother) Amina. Hamid lost his parents when he was an infant. His aged grandmother, Amina, fulfills their daily needs by doing needle work for others. His Dadi has told him that very soon his father and mother will return home with lots of money, sweets and gifts for him from the house of Allah. He is full of hope and happily awaiting that day.

On the morning of Eid, poor Hamid doesn’t have new clothes or shoes like other children. He has only six paise (very little money) as Idi for the festival, to spend in a fair. His friends spend their pocket-money on rides, candies and buying beautiful colourful clay toys. Hamid dismisses this as a waste of money for momentary pleasure. While his friends are enjoying themselves, he overcomes his temptation and goes to a hardware shop to buy a chimta (pair of tongs). He remembers how his dadi burns her hand while cooking rotis (Indian flat bread).

Hamid goes home and gifts the chimta to his dadi. At first she is shocked and annoyed by his stupidity that instead of eating anything or buying any toy at the fair, he has purchased a chimta. But then Hamid reminds her of how she burns her fingers daily, while making rotis. She bursts into tears at this and blesses him for his kindness.

Here’s a video adaptation of the story by Children’s Films of India.

Posted by Ashima Goyal Siraj on Jul 29, 2014 | permalink