https://www.india.com/news/india/bakrid-celebrated-with-religious-fervour-across-india-over-50000-offer-eid-prayers-at-kashmirs-hazaratbal-shrine-6140389/Bakrid celebrated With religious fervor across India, more than 50,000 offer Eid prayers in Kashmir

The largest congregational prayers were held at Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, where more than 50,000 people gathered to offer Eid prayers.

New Delhi: Eid-ul-Adha, also known as Bakrid, was celebrated with religious fervor across the country on Thursday, with people gathering in large numbers at mosques and eidgahs to pray and exchange the festival greeting ‘Eid Mubarak’ by hugging each other .

In Jammu and Kashmir, Eid prayers have passed peacefully and there was no report of any untoward incident, police said.

The largest congregational prayers were held at Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar, where more than 50,000 people gathered, they said.

Smaller gatherings were reported in all Muslim places of worship in the Kashmir valley, except the historic Jamia Masjid in the old city.

In Poonch, Indian and Pakistani troops converged on Rahe Milan to celebrate the festival by exchanging sweets and gifts.

Eid prayers were performed in mosques in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Kathua in the Jammu region.

“In Jammu, the largest gathering takes place in Eidgah. The spirit of brotherhood provides a remarkable example. Besides commemorating the sacrifice of the Prophet, we prayed for the peace and prosperity of our nation,” said Gulam Mohmmad, a local resident.

The district administrations made extensive arrangements, including tightening 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 the citizens on the eve of Eid ul-Adha and asked everyone to take a vow to work towards spreading brotherhood and harmony in the society.

“On the occasion of Id-uz-Zuha, I extend my warmest and best wishes to all my fellow citizens, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters living in India and abroad,” she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion on Thursday.

“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.

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha also greeted the people on the occasion. “Eid Mubarak! Greetings to the people on the holy festival of Eid-ul-Adha. The joyful occasion inspires each of us to follow the path of love, compassion and forgiveness. May the festival of Eid-ul-Adha usher in peace, prosperity and happiness for all,” Sinha tweeted.

In Uttar Pradesh, Bakrid was celebrated with people thronging mosques and eidgahs for morning prayers. After offering namaz, they took part in the ceremonial ‘Qurbani’ (sacrifice) and visited the homes of friends and relatives to greet.

In the capital Lucknow, namaz was offered in Tile Wali Masjid, Aishbagh Eidgah and Bada Imambara, among others. Similar prayers were offered in all districts of the state and people celebrated with religious fervor.

However, in neighboring Uttarakhand, Muslims in the communally sensitive town of Purola did not gather for namaz in public places due to pressure from the Vishva Hindu Parishad.

Muslims who lived in Purola for generations had to go to other places like Sandra, about 30 km from the hill town, and Vikas Nagar near Dehradun, to collectively offer namaz.

The break from tradition provoked a sharp reaction from Muslim organizations in Dehradun, who said such things went against the secular spirit of the Indian constitution and called it the failure of the government.

“If there was no eidgah in Purola, people should have been allowed to come to the mosque and pray. Not allowing them to gather anywhere for namaz reinforces the fact that Muslims in this secular and culturally diverse country will be treated as second-class citizens,” the president of Muslim Seva Sangathan, Naim Ahmad, told PTI in Dehradun.

Purola SHO Ashok Chakravarty said the decision not to offer namaz in public places was taken by the community itself after a rally was held on Wednesday to “keep the peace”.

VHP chairman Virendra Rawat said the outfit had indeed asked Muslims not to gather for namaz in public places. “It was not our intention to hurt anyone’s religious feelings. We just asked them not to offer namaz collectively in public places. Can someone be stopped from offering namaz in the privacy of their home? Rawat said.

In the national capital, Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated with glee as people thronged mosques, including the historic Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid, amid rain 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 said in a statement that on the occasion of Id-ul-Adha he extended his warmest greetings and warm wishes to the Muslim brothers of the state.

The prime minister hoped that the festival will inspire people to march forward by following the ideals of humanity.

In the south, Muslim brothers celebrated Eid-ul-Adha with great zeal in Karnataka.

The Muslim festival coincided with Ashadha Ekadashi or Devashayani Ekadashi where Lord Vishnu temples in the state were decked out and special puja performed.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah participated in the special Eid prayer with State Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan at the Eidgah Maidan at Chamarajpet in Bengaluru.

In Tamil Nadu, fervor marked Eid-ul-Adha celebrations with several thousand Muslims participating in mass prayers. In Chennai, Muslims gathered in large numbers at the Don Bosco school grounds and offered prayers, while similar congregations celebrated the occasion in various parts of the state, including Tirupathur, Dindigul, Vellore, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.

(Only the headline has been reworked by India.com staff. Copy is from a syndicated feed)