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Muslim devotees offer prayers during the festival of Eid al-Adha at Dimapur, Nagaland on Tuesday, September 13, 2016. [/caption]
New Delhi, September 13 : Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid was celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm across the country on Tuesday with President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi joining in greeting the Muslim community.
Special prayers were held in mosques and Eidgahs in different parts of the country followed by the traditional 'qurbani' (sacrifice) of goats.
People from other communities also greeted their Muslim friends on the occasion. After prayers, goats and sheep were sacrificed -- an act commemorating the sacrifice by Abraham. The sacrificed meat was then split into three parts, of which people making sacrifices kept a part for themselves and distributed the rest among relatives and the poor. The sacrifices would continue for the next three days, clerics said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his message: "Eid-ul-Adha greetings. May this festival enhance the spirit of peace and togetherness in our society."
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan greeted the nation on Eid-ul-Zuha with a message of peace and harmony.
In Delhi, thousands offered prayers at different mosques including historical mosques like the Jama Masjid, Fatehpuri and Shahi Eidgah. The special Namaaz at these mosques was held at 7.30 a.m.
"Our country's distinctive feature of national integration was evident today as many from the Hindu community wished their Muslim friends on this pious occasion," Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari told IANS.
He added that people from different communities greeting their friends from other faiths depicts that brotherhood prevails and would continue to do so.
Eid congregations were disallowed in Srinagar for the first time since the early 1990s when the separatists began their armed struggle.
On Tuesday, the faithful offered Eid prayers in small groups in mosques in towns and villages in the Kashmir Valley. There were no visible celebrations in the valley. People preferred to be indoors fearing clashes and violence.
In Maharashtra, Eid was celebrated with traditional piety and joy by the Muslim community. Hundreds of mosques in Mumbai wore a festive look with bright lights and decorations as Muslims prayed in shifts.
Similar reports of pious, joyous and peaceful celebrations were received from Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad and other areas in the state. Eid was celebrated across Uttar Pradesh and senior political leaders, including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, joined in and greeted the Muslim community.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, state Congress unit chief Raj Babbar, Congress' chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit also extended their greetings to the people on Eid-ul-Adha.
Security was heightened in sensitive places like Moradabad, Agra, Bijnor, Firozabad, Lucknow and Kanpur to ensure peaceful celebrations of the festival. Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Braving rains, Muslims in Hyderabad and in other cities and towns of Telangana and in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh offered Eid prayers. Tens of thousands offered prayers in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana and all 13 districts of the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The biggest congregation in Hyderabad was held at the Mir Alam Eidgah where thousands of people offered prayers. Mecca Masjid, Madannapet Eidgah, Hockey Ground Masab Tank and Military Ground Mehdipatnam witnessed big congregations. Prayers were also held at hundreds of mosques in the city.
Tight security arrangements were made in the communally sensitive old city of Hyderabad in view of the ongoing Ganesh festivities, which will conclude with the annual immersion processions on Thursday.
In Andhra Pradesh, huge Eid congregations were seen in Vijayawada, Guntur, Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and other major towns of the state.
In Rajasthan, Eid was celebrated and competitive bidding for the sacrificial goats set a new price record in the state as the animals were sold online.
The main prayer was offered in the Eidgah on the outskirts of Jaipur where over three lakh devotees participated. The Eid prayers were offered in other parts of the city as well and in towns and cities across the state. Eid was celebrated with great enthusiasm in Ajmer, too, where the Dargah Sharif of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is situated. In Madhya Pradesh, special Eid prayers were offered at dozens of mosques. In Bhopal, prayers were offered at the Eidgah at 7.30 a.m., where Shahar Qazi Mushtaq Nadvi led the congregation.
The Muslim community of Kerala celebrated Eid on Monday and visited specially erected Eid-Gahs, halls and mosques across the state to offer prayers. Kerala has 88.73 lakh Muslims and huge crowds participated in prayer centres in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargode districts. Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated with religious fervour across West Bengal.
The biggest congregation was organised on the arterial Indira Gandhi Sarani (Red road) in the state capital Kolkata, where thousands of members of the community offered prayers. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished people on the occasion.