Mumbai, July 18 (IANS): Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, was celebrated with joy and religious fervour across Maharashtra on Saturday.

Lakhs of Muslims came out early morning dressed in their finery to offer the special Eid congregational prayers as thanksgiving at the 600-plus mosques here.

After the solemn prayers, people joyfully greeted each other with hugs and "Eid mubarak" in mosques, homes and public places.

Similar peaceful Eid celebrations were witnessed in important Muslim pockets of Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Aurangabad, Pune, Nashik, Beed and other areas of the state.

The festival marked the culmination of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan during which Muslims observe a stringent dawn-to-dusk fast in which even water is not permitted.

The Dawoodi Bohra community celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday, while all other sects are celebrating it on today (Saturday).

After offering the Eid 'namaaz', it was time for the celebrations with family, friends, neighbours and community people, savouring and serving each other the festival special dish of "sheer-korma", a sweet preparation of milk, vermicelli and dry fruits.

The community was not alone as they were joined in large numbers by Hindus, Christians, Jains, Parsis to meet, greet and celebrate with their Muslim brethren in suburbs like Bhandup, Kurla, Bandra, Borivali, Kandivali, Malad, Jogeshwari, Andheri, Santacruz, Bandra and south Mumbai.

Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis greeted the people of the state on Eid-Ul-Fitr in separate messages on the occasion.

Maharashtra Samajwadi Party President and legislator Abu Asim Azmi also extended Eid-Ul-Fitr greetings to the people of the state and India.

Many Mumbaikars, taking advantage of the two-day holiday, made a beeline for various hill stations and beach resorts dotting the state to make the best of the festive break.