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New
Delhi/
Mumbai/Hyderabad/Malegaon: Religious fervour and
gaiety marked Eid-ul-Azha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, in
New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Malegaon and other parts of India Saturday.
Millions of people offered Eid prayers in the morning at Eidgahs
or open grounds and mosques in state capitals and other parts of
the country.
New Delhi
In New Delhi, devout Muslims
thronged mosques across the Indian capital to offer the
Eid-ul-Azha prayers.
"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."
Eid-ul-Azha, also known as Bakr-Eid or the festival of sacrifice,
is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar. It
is celebrated to honour Prophet Ibrahim, who was even willing to
sacrifice his son Ismail to please Allah.
According to Muslim belief, Allah wanted to test Ibrahim and
replaced Ismail with a sheep just as Ibrahim was about to slit his
throat - hence the tradition of sacrificing an animal.
Mumbai
In Mumbai, Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Azha with gaiety and in a
spirit of sacrifice.
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.
Hyderabad
In Hyderabad, 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.
Huge gatherings were also seen at the historic Makkah 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.
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.
Eid was celebrated with enthusiasm in Karimnagar, Nizamabad,
Adilabad, Mahabubnagar, Medak and other towns in Telangana, where
Muslims have a sizable population.
Muslims account for about 10 percent of the state's nearly 80
million population. They comprise 40 percent of the 7.7 million
people of Greater Hyderabad.
Malegaon
In Malegaon and other parts of
Maharashtra Muslims celebrated Eid ul Azha prayers with
traditional fervour and gaiety. Muslims set for the Eid-gahs
located outside of the city and offered special Eid prayers before
sacrificing animals to honor the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim
and his noble son Prophet Ismael.
In special Eid sermon, the clerics
urged the masses to become role models and work with the spirit of
sacrifice seen in the life of Prophet Ibrahim and his son.
The local civic body has arranged
special and provisional slaughter houses for smooth sacrifice of
the animals. Medical teams led by experts are also deployed to
test the animals before sacrifice.
The city that has more than 80%
Muslim population is knows for celebrating festivals with total
peace and harmony.
The sacrificial meat is not only
distributed to relatives and friends, but non-Muslim friends too
are invited on dinner to share the biryanis, kormas and other
delicious foods specially prepared on the occasion.
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