Mammootty takes day off as Kerala celebrates Eid

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 21 : As Muslims offered prayers in large numbers at mosques dotting towns and cities in Kerala Monday, superstar Mammootty too joined in the Eid festivities by praying at an Eidgah in Kochi on his rare off-day.

Dressed in a white dhoti and shirt and sporting the traditional Muslim cap, the actor arrived at a prayer ground in Kochi and sat through the morning prayers.

Mammootty told IANS that he would be taking an off on Eid, one of the few days he doesn't work and spends time with his family.

"I will be home and will spend the day with my family. This is a welcome break for me and I enjoy it," said Mammootty, who is also upbeat about his latest film "Loud Speaker" doing well at the box office.

Muslims across the state thronged mosques early in the morning to offer prayers and hear the sermon by the clerics.

Muslims account for more than 24 percent of Kerala's 32 million population. Eid celebrations were more visible and elaborate in the Muslim-dominated districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargode in north Kerala.

In the capital city, a large number of Muslims offered prayers in stadiums and other open places too. A large number of women too arrived to offer prayers in specially-erected enclosures in major cities in the state.