Eid Ul Zuha also known as Bakrid is being celebrated with full fervour, and gaeity through the length and breadth of India. Muslims across India offered   prayers in the morning at various mosques.
“On this auspicious day, we offer prayers and do charity. People prayed here for peace in the country, greeted each other and exchanged sweets and gifts,” Maulana Mufti Mohammed Mukkaram, Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid in old Delhi, told IANS.
After offering prayers, Muslims sacrifice goats and other animals and the meat is donated to the poor according to tradition, he added.
Mehnaz Nasreen, a resident of Jamia Nagar in south Delhi, said, “On Eid, we offer ‘namaz’, eat ‘sewainya’ (sweet vermicelli) and greet each other. In the evening I have planned a get together with friends.”
In Mumbai, the community offered prayers in the morning at various mosques in the Muslim pockets across the city and adjoining Thane district.
Over four lakh goats and sheep were sacrificed in the city on the occasion.
More than 1.5 lakh goats and sheep were slaughtered at the Deonar abattoir alone, in eastern Mumbai, one of the biggest in the city. Over two lakh goats will be sacrificed in housing societies and other places where slaughtering is allowed.
The abattoir, the largest in Asia, ensured no illegal animal was brought in for slaughtering as per the circular ordered by the Bombay High Court.
Experienced officers at the abattoir checked the animals before giving them a certificate to ensure that no ill or below-age animal is allowed to be slaughtered.
The 41-year-old Deonar abattoir has already sold 1.51 lakh of the 1.72 lakh goats it acquired Oct 11. The meat will then be used to prepare a variety of dishes.
“Muslim households generally prepare a variety of sumptuous dishes like sheer khorma, payas and biryani,” said Sayeeda Shaikh from the densely populated Byculla pocket of south central Mumbai.
City, state and traffic police officials chipped in to maintain a strict vigil in Colaba, Nagpada, Mumbai Central, Govandi, Bandra, Santacruz, Jogeshwari, Malad, Borivli, Bhandup and Ghatkopar and other Muslim pockets like Mira Road, Vasai and Virar, in Thane district, Nashik city and Malegaon in Nashik district, Aurangabad and Pune.
The Governor of Maharashtra, K. Sankaranarayanan also greeted people on the occasion.
“Bakrid is one of the most auspicious festivals celebrated by Muslims all over the world. The festival reminds us of the spirit of sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim. Islam attaches great importance to charity and caring for the poor and the less privileged,” he said.
According to tradition, after cutting a goat or a sheep, every Muslim divides the meat into three parts. One part goes to the poor, the second to relatives and the third remains with the family. This is done to show the spirit of remembering the poor and also including relatives in the celebration.
Eid-ul-Azha, commonly known as Bakrid, is a three-day sacrifice festival celebrated in the memory of Prophet Ibrahim, who offered to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail to please Allah.
Religious fervour and gaiety marked Eid-ul-Azha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, in Hyderabad and other parts of Andhra Pradesh Saturday.
Thousands of people offered Eid prayers in the morning at Eidgahs or open grounds and mosques in the state capital, Vijayawada, Guntur, Anantapur, Kurnool and other towns.
The biggest congregation was at the historic Mir Alam Eidgah in the old city of Hyderabad, where over 2,00,000 Muslims offered prayers on the occasion of their second biggest festival, also known as Bakrid.
Huge gatherings were also seen at the historic Mecca Masjid, and Eidgahs at Madannapet, Masab Tank and Secunderabad and hundreds of mosques in the state capital.
After the prayers, the Muslims sacrificed animals in the name of the Almighty Allah and remembered the great sacrifice offered by Prophet Ibrahim.
Imams and khateebs (who deliver sermons) exhorted Muslims to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and follow Prophet Ibrahim, who offered to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail to please Allah.
According to Muslim belief, Allah replaced Ismail with a sheep just as Ibrahim was about to slit his throat.
The meat of the sacrificed goats and other cattle is distributed equally in three parts. The person making the sacrifice keeps one part for his family while the other two are distributed among relatives and the poor.
The streets of the Muslim-majority old city of Hyderabad wore a festive look while the butchers, coming from other districts, did brisk business.
Hectic activity was seen in many parts of the city as the sale of goats continued throughout the night. The goats and sheep were sold for Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 8,000 each.
The sacrifice can be made during the three-day celebrations, with Saturday being the first day.
The Islamic seminaries and socio-religious organisations were busy receiving the animals’ skins, the proceeds of which are used for their activities.
The Muslims families prepare special dishes of meat to celebrate the Eid. The visitors are also treated with sweets.
Eid was celebrated with enthusiasm in Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Mahabubnagar, Medak and other towns in Telangana, where Muslims have a sizable population.