New Delhi, Jun 29: Eid-ul-Adha, also known as Bakrid, was celebrated with religious fervour across the country on Thursday, with people gathering at mosques and eidgahs in large numbers to offer prayers and exchange the festival greeting ‘Eid Mubarak’ by embracing each other.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Eid prayers passed off peacefully and there was no report of any untoward incident, police said.
The biggest congregational prayers were held at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, where more than 50,000 people gathered, they said.
Smaller gatherings were reported at all Muslim places of worship across the Kashmir Valley, except for the historic Jamia Masjid in old city.
In Poonch, Indian and Pakistani troops came together at Rahe Milan to celebrate the festival by exchanging sweets and gifts.
Eid prayers were conducted across mosques in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, and Kathua of Jammu region.
“In Jammu, the biggest congregation takes place at Eidgah. The spirit of brotherhood sets a remarkable example. Apart from commemorating the Prophet’s sacrifice, we prayed for the peace and prosperity of our nation,” Gulam Mohmmad, a local resident, said.
The district administrations made elaborate arrangements, including stepping up security measures, to ensure a safe and smooth celebration of the festival.
Eid-ul-Adha is observed to commemorate the spirit of sacrifice and devotion to the Almighty.
President Droupadi Murmu greeted citizens on the eve of Eid ul-Adha and asked all to take a pledge to work towards spreading brotherhood and harmony in the society.
“On the occasion of Id-uz-Zuha, I extend my heartiest greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters living in India and abroad,” she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted people on the occasion.
“Greetings on Eid-ul-Adha. May this day bring happiness and prosperity to everyone. May it also uphold the spirit of togetherness and harmony in our society. Eid Mubarak!” he tweeted.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also greeted the people on the occasion. “Eid Mubarak! Greetings to the people on the holy festival of Eid-ul-Adha. The joyous occasion inspires each one of us to follow the path of love, compassion & forgiveness. May the festival of Eid-ul-Adha usher in peace, prosperity & happiness for all,” Sinha tweeted.
In Uttar Pradesh, Bakrid was celebrated with people thronging mosques and eidgahs to offer prayers in the morning. After offering namaz, they took part in the ceremonial ‘Qurbani’ (sacrifice) and visited friends’ and relatives’ houses to extend greetings.
In state capital Lucknow, namaz was offered at Tile Wali Masjid, Aishbagh Eidgah and Bada Imambara, among other places. Similar prayers were offered in all districts of the state with people celebrating it with religious fervour.
However, in neighbouring Uttarakhand, Muslims in the communally sensitive Purola town did not gather for namaz in public places due to under pressure from the Vishva Hindu Parishad.
Muslims living in Purola for generations had to go to other places like Sandra, about 30 km away from the hill town, and Vikas Nagar near Dehradun, to offer namaz collectively.
The break in the tradition drew a sharp reaction from Muslim organisations in Dehradun which said such things went against the secular spirit of the Indian Constitution and termed it the failure of the administration.
“If there was no eidgah in Purola, people should have been allowed to gather at the mosque and offer prayers. Not letting them gather for namaz anywhere reinforces the fact that Muslims will continue to be treated as second class citizens in this secular and culturally diverse country,” Muslim Seva Sangathan president Naim Ahmad told PTI in Dehradun.
Purola SHO Ashok Chakravarty said the decision to not offer namaz in public place was taken by the community itself after a meeting was held on Wednesday to “maintain peace.”
VHP working president Virendra Rawat said the outfit had indeed asked Muslims to not gather for namaz in public places. “We had no intention to hurt the religious sentiments of anyone. We only asked them not to offer namaz collectively in public places. Can anyone be stopped from offering namaz in the privacy of their homes?” Rawat said.
In the national capital, Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated with gaiety as people thronged mosques, including the historic Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid, amid rains for special prayers.
In Assam, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma greeted the people of the state on the occasion.
The governor, in a statement, said that he extends his heartiest greetings and warm wishes to the Muslim brethren of the state on the occasion of Id-ul-Adha.
The chief minister hoped that the festival will inspire people to march forward by following the ideals of humanity.
Down south, Muslim brethren celebrated Eid-ul-Adha with great fervour in Karnataka.
The Muslim festival coincided with Ashadha Ekadashi or Devashayani Ekadashi where Lord Vishnu temples in the state were decked up and special puja was performed.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took part in the special Eid prayer with the state Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan at the Eidgah Maidan at Chamarajpet in Bengaluru.
In Tamil Nadu, fervour marked the Eid-ul-Adha celebrations with several thousands of Muslims participating in mass prayers. In Chennai, Muslims gathered in large numbers at the Don Bosco school grounds and offered prayers while similar congregations marked the occasion in several parts of the state including Tirupathur, Dindigul, Vellore, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.–(PTI)
