Eid celebrated in India, Haj tragedy casts a shadow
Mumbai/New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Millions celebrated Eid al-Adha or Bakri Eid with gaiety across India on Friday but the Haj tragedy in Saudi Arabia that killed over 700 pilgrims including 14 Indians cast a shadow.
Eidgah grounds and mosques across the country attracted tens of thousands of dominantly men and children who offered prayers and extended Eid greetings to one another.
Later, goats were sacrificed to commemorate the readiness of Ibrahim, the apostle of God, to sacrifice his son and honour the Almighty’s command, effectively signifying renunciation.
By a miracle, at the last minute, Irahim’s child was replaced by a goat. Goat meat, considered auspicious, was offered to friends, relatives and the poor.
Reports of Eid celebrations poured in from Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, distant Lakshadweep and even Meghalaya.
Kerala celebrated the festival on Thursday.
Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged sweets on the occasion on the Line of Control in Poonch, Kupwara and Baramulla districts in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Border Security Force of India and Pakistan Rangers similarly exchanged sweets and greetings at their only land border in Punjab at Attari, not far from Amritsar.
The day, however, saw clashes between security forces and protesters in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Special prayers were also offered on Friday for those who died in a stampede at the Haj at mosques in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.
It was the worst Haj disaster in 25 years. Among the victims are one from Maharashtra and 13 others from other parts of India.
The severe drought in Maharashtra and the state-wide ban on beef, enforced strictly since May, also added to the no-frills celebrations in the state.
In Lucknow, which often seens Shia-Sunni tensions, the two communities came together to celebrate Eid.
Thousands wearing new clothes and skull caps prayed in Eidgahs and mosques in Shillong, Dawki, Nongpoh, Lad Rymbai and Byrnihat and in the Garo Hills.
“We prayed for peace in our homes and in the world,” Shillong Muslim Union general secretary Alhaj Sayeedullah Nongrum said.
Muslims in Madhya Pradesh celebrated with special Eid prayers. The main Eid congregation was held at Eidgah in Bhopal.
Governor Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greeted the people on the occasion.
The situation was no different in Delhi, where tens of thousands gathered at the 17th century Jama Masjid and nearby Fatehpuri mosques.
Rajasthan Muslims too celebrated Eid. The main prayers were performed at Eidgah on Jaipur’s outskirts and in Ajmer, home to the shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Haji Syed Salman Chishty greeted the over 200,000 devout and prayed for all countrymen on the occasion.
Offering prayers at mosques, thousands of Muslims also celebrated Eid in Punjab and Haryana besides Chandigarh.
Muslims also gathered in many thousands in mosques in Bihar, West Bengal and Assam, IANS correspondents reported.
Eid celebrated peacefully in Bihar
Patna: Eid was celebrated peacefully in Bihar on Friday with no reports of violence, police said.
Millions of Muslims offered prayers in mosques across the state followed by sacrifice of animals, mostly goats, in memory of Prophet Ibrahim.
In Patna, thousands of Muslims prayed at Gandhi Maidan and at various mosques.
Apprehending trouble by anti-socials before the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, additional security forces were deployed in sensitive places in the state to prevent any untoward incident, a police official said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed officials to keep round-the-clock vigil.
Eid celebrated in Bengal
Kolkata, Sep 25 (IANS) Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across West Bengal on Friday.
The day began with Muslims, dressed in their best, offering prayers at the Nakhoda Masjid and other mosques. Hundreds sat on open grounds and streets as well to pray. Cutting across class barriers, they hugged each other after the prayers.
The biggest congregation was seen at the Indira Gandhi Sarani (formerly Red Road) here with over 20,000 people attending the special prayer.
After the prayers, Muslims sacrificed goats or other cattle commemorating the great sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim.
The meat of the sacrificed animals is distributed among neighbours, relatives and the poor.
Restaurants received heavy footfalls as families gathered around a hearty meal and exchanging of gifts to mark the day.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also wished the people.
Shias, Sunnis jointly lead Eid celebrations in Lucknow
Lucknow: Eid was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety across Uttar Pradesh on Friday. The highlight of the celebrations was the joint ‘namaaz’ (prayer) that was offered for the first time by the Shia and Sunni sects in Lucknow.
Both sides, known for their hostility towards each other and a record of sectarian violence in the old city, were brought together by a religious group – Shia-Sunni Brotherhood.
Sunni clerics led the Eid namaaz at the Sibtainabad Imambada in Hazratganj in the presence of religious leaders from both sides.
Apart from praying for peace and prosperity of the nation, the Muslims also prayed for peace for the souls who were killed in the stampede near Makkah on Thursday.
Eminent Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq welcomed the initiative named “Shoulder-to-Shoulder” and said that the move was a befitting response to people who instigated fights and violence between the two sects of Islam.
He said that Muslims should not only encourage peace and brotherhood within the fraternity but also try and include Hindus in it.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav extended their good wishes. Namaaz was offered in Jhansi, Aligarh, Agra, Moradabad, Bareilly, Firozabad, Agra, Kannauj, Kanpur, Etah, Meerut and Rampur.
Eid celebrated with gaiety in Telangana, Andhra
Hyderabad, Sep 25 (IANS) Eid was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
The day began with Muslims, attired in their best, offering Eid prayers at Eidgahs or open grounds and mosques in towns and villages across the two Telugu states.
Tens of thousands offered prayers in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana and all 13 districts of neighboring Andhra Pradesh.
After the prayers, Muslims sacrificed goats or other cattle commemorating the great sacrifice of 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 Almighty replaced Ismail with a sheep just as Ibrahim was about to sacrifice him.
The priests also offered special ‘dua’ (supplication) for over 700 Haj pilgrims who died in the stampede in holy city of Mina in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The biggest congregation in Hyderabad was held at the historic Mir Alam Eidgah where thousands people offered prayers.
The historic Mecca Masjid, Madannapet Eidgah, Hockey Ground Masab Tank and Military Ground Mehdipatnam witnessed other big congregations. Prayers were also held in hundreds of mosques in the city.
During their speeches before the prayers, the imams also prayed for peace and prosperity in the country.
Also known as Bakrid or Eid-e-Qurban, it is the second major festival of Muslims.
The meat of the sacrificed animal 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 butchers, coming from other districts, did brisk business.
The sacrifice can be made during the three-day celebrations, with Friday being the first day.
Islamic seminaries and socio-religious organisations were busy receiving the animals’ skins, the proceeds of which are used for their activities.
Muslims families prepare special dishes of meat to celebrate the Eid. The visitors are also treated with sweets.
Eid was also celebrated in Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Adilabad, Warangal and other towns of Telangana.
In Andhra Pradesh, huge Eid congregations were seen in Vijayawada, Guntur, Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and other towns of the state.
Governor of both states, E.S.L. Narasimhan, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu greeted Muslims on the occasion of Eid.
Ministers and top officials in the two states visited Eidgahs to greet Muslims.
In Hyderabad, Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy visited the old city and greeted Muslims. With the Eid coinciding with the ongoing Ganesh festivities, police made tight security arrangements in the old city and other communally sensitive areas.
Eid-ul-Azha celebrated in Meghalaya
Shillong: Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated on Friday with religious fervour and gaiety across Meghalaya, a predominantly Christian state.
Thousands of men and children wearing new clothes and skull caps offered prayers in Eidgahs and mosques in Shillong, Dawki, Nongpoh, Lad Rymbai and Byrnihat and in the Garo Hills.
The biggest congregation was at the Eidgah at the country’s first glass mosque, the Madina Masjid in Shillong, where over 10,000 people offered prayers. Qari Abdul Hafeez led the prayers.
“We prayed for peace in our homes and in the world,” Shillong Muslim Union general secretary Alhaj Sayeedullah Nongrum said.
After the prayers, Muslims sacrificed goats and other “halal” animals to commemorate the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim.
The meat of the sacrificed animals is distributed among neighbours, relatives and the poor.
Governor V. Shanmuganathan and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma greeted the people on the occasion.
Shanmuganathan hoped “that the festival will promote peace, prosperity and harmony in the state”.
Sangma said: “Let this feast of sacrifice remind us of the common values that unites us in our humanity and reinforce the obligation that people of all faiths have for one another.”
Muslims constitute 4.40 percent of the nearly three million people of Meghalaya.
Delhi celebrates Eid with enthusiasm
New Delhi: People celebrated Eid-ul-Azha with joy and fervour here on Friday, with thousands of Muslims thronging mosques early in the day to offer Eid prayers.
Though most of the elderly men preferred praying at Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid, the country’s biggest mosque, others preferred praying at mosques located near their homes.
“To mark this occasion every year, I get up before sunrise and get ready in my new dress. Today also I went to Jama Masjid and offered my Fajr (prayers). As I was away from my home, I visited some of my friends and shared delicacies especially prepared for the occasion,” Asif Ali Mazumder, a Tilak Nagar resident working with a global NGO, told IANS.
According to Jama Masjid authorities, over 1.5 lakh devotees offered prayers at the medieval mosque.
Muslims across the city greeted each other and distributed the meat of sacrificed animals among friends, relatives and the poor. Animals are sacrificed to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim.
Special delicacies like biryani, korma and sewaiyan (pudding made with semolina) were also prepared at homes.
East Delhi-based Farah Khatoon, a research scholar, told IANS: ” Eid-ul-Azha is all about sharing and sacrifice and the day starts with the same feeling. The men of the family go for their namaaz in the nearest Masjid. The ladies take over the kitchen after performing prayers at home.”
“I usually prepare breakfast and lunch. So the menu includes sewai, puri or parantha served with the sacrificed animals meat. As the preparations for lunch are done, my dad divides the meat to be distributed in the neighbourhood, among relatives and also the less fortunate ones,” she said.
Extending greetings to the people of the entire country, Fatehpuri mosque’s Shahi Imam Mufti Mohammed Mukarram Ahmed, told IANS: “Eid is an occasion of happiness and I wish it brings prosperity to the life of every individual…The festival is meant for spreading peace and love all around. So people must show affection and love for others,” he said.
Ahmed also expressed grief over the death of over 700 Haj pilgrims, including 14 Indians, in Thursday’s stampede near Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
Eid celebrated in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: Muslims across Madhya Pradesh celebrated the Eid on Friday with enthusiasm and fervour.
Special prayers were offered in various mosques across the state.
The main prayers were offered at Eidgah on Bhopal’s outskirts. Prayers were also offered at other places in the city and across the state.
Governor Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greeted the people of the state on the festive occasion.
Subdued Eid celebrations in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Eid was celebrated here and in other parts of Maharashtra on Friday with subdued fervour and enthusiasm in the wake of the Haj stampede tragedy in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in which over 700 people were killed on Thursday.
Special prayers were offered by men, women and youth at various mosques in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Pune and other cities and in important pockets of Muslim populations.
Later, goats were sacrificed to commemorate the readiness of Ibrahim, the apostle of God, to sacrifice his son and honour the Almighty’s command, effectively signifiying renunciation. By a miracle, at the last minute Irahim’s child was replaced by a goat.
Goat meat, considered auspicious, was offered to friends, relatives and poor people, and people exchanged greetings.
The celebrations were low-key on account of the Makkah tragedy which left 717 Hajis dead, including one pilgrim from Maharashtra, besides 13 others from elsewhere in India.
The ongoing severe drought conditions in many parts of the state and the state-wide ban on beef, enforced strictly since last May, also added to the no-frills celebrations of the Eid.
The Social Education and Welfare Association launched a drive to help farmers in distress in the worst-hit districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad, as part of the Eid festival.Subdued Eid celebrations in Maharashtra
Mumbai, Sep 25 (IANS) Eid was celebrated here and in other parts of Maharashtra on Friday with subdued fervour and enthusiasm in the wake of the Haj stampede tragedy in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in which over 700 people were killed on Thursday.
Special prayers were offered by men, women and youth at various mosques in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Pune and other cities and in important pockets of Muslim populations.
Later, goats were sacrificed to commemorate the readiness of Ibrahim, the apostle of God, to sacrifice his son and honour the Almighty’s command, effectively signifiying renunciation. By a miracle, at the last minute Irahim’s child was replaced by a goat.
Goat meat, considered auspicious, was offered to friends, relatives and poor people, and people exchanged greetings.
The celebrations were low-key on account of the Makkah tragedy which left 717 Hajis dead, including one pilgrim from Maharashtra, besides 13 others from elsewhere in India.
The ongoing severe drought conditions in many parts of the state and the state-wide ban on beef, enforced strictly since last May, also added to the no-frills celebrations of the Eid.
The Social Education and Welfare Association launched a drive to help farmers in distress in the worst-hit districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad, as part of the Eid festival.
On Eid, Indian film stars wish peace, happiness
Mumbai: Film celebrities from Hindi, Bengali and southern film industries on Friday
wished friends and fans “Eid Mubarak”, and hoped the day will bring joy, peace and love worldwide.
From Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to southern stars Dhanush and Shruti Haasan, as well as Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, all took to Twitter to wish all and sundry on Eid al-Adha. Here’s what the stars tweeted:
Amitabh Bachchan: Eid Mubarak! Peace, well being, happiness and love…to all.
Shah Rukh Khan: Wishing everyone a happy Eid Al Adha. May all have Allah’s mercy and blessings, health and happiness.
Shabana Azmi: Eid Mubarak sabko
Hema Malini: EID MUBARAK to all my friends on Twitter! May the blessings of God be with you!
Madhuri Dixit: Eid Mubarak everyone! I wish everyone peace, happiness and prosperity!
Priyanka Chopra: Eid Mubarak to everyone who celebrates around the world… May Allah bless us with peace and tolarence..
Sonakshi Sinha: Eid Mubarak! Wishing all love, happiness and all that you pray for.
Mallika Sherawat: Eid Mubarak
Raveena Tandon: Eid Mubarak my friends.. As I say even for Diwali Christmas, God wanted us to believe in the love of giving/sharing…
Shruti Haasan: Eid Mubarak to everyone! May God bless you and your family !!!
Anushka Sharma: Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating! May His light shine upon all of us. Have a beautiful day guys!!
Nimrat Kaur: Eid Mubarak everyone… a day to celebrate love, love and more love.
Sunny Leone: Eid Mubarak! Have fun and be safe!
Arjun Rampal: Laugh as much as you breathe, love as much as you live and celebrate like there is no tomorrow. Eid Mubarak everyone.
Tisca Chopra: Eid Mubarak everyone!
Gauahar Khan: Eid Mubarak to all .. May Allah bless all mankind!!!
Saqib Saleem: Eid Mubarak!! May Allah give you guys all the happiness in the world!! Khush raho!!
Huma Qureshi: EID MUBARAK … My prayers for all those hurt and families of dead in Mina .. May Allah bless us all..
Sushmita Sen: Eid Mubarak Beautiful People!!! My Salaam to you n all your loved ones!!!
Dhanush: Eid Mubarak
Vivek Oberoi: Eid Mubarak to everyone! May Allah bless us all with peace, prosperity and happiness in abundance
Prosenjit Chatterjee: Eid Mubarak to all my friends. May Allah shower his blessings to all of us.
Manoj Bajpayee: May Allah bless you and you have a happy and prosperous Eid celebration.
Sonu Nigam: Eid Mubarak to all… Prayers and blessings.
Soha Ali Khan: Wishing all of you and your families a happy and safe Eid Mubarak – may it be filled with joy, peace and love
Eid celebrated in Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh: Offering prayers at mosques, thousands of Muslims celebrated Eid festival in Punjab and Haryana on Friday.
In Punjab, the main celebrations took place in Sangrur and Gudaspur districts.
In Haryana, the Muslim population is largely concentrated in the districts of Mewat, Palwal, Mahendergarh and Gurgaon.
In Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, hundreds offered prayers at the main mosque, Jama Masjid, in Sector 20.
Eid celebrated in Rajasthan with fervour
Jaipur: Muslims across Rajasthan celebrated Eid on Friday with enthusiasm and fervour, with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje greeting people on the occasion.
The main prayers were performed at Eidgah on Jaipur’s outskirts. Prayers were also offered at other places in the city and across the state.
Thousands celebrated Eid in Ajmer, home to the Dargah Sharif of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
There was a heavy rush since early morning for the Jannati Darwaza (gateway to paradise) at the Dargah Sharif to seek blessings. This Darwaza is opened only on four occasions in a year.
Raje greeted people on Eid: “May this day bring peace, warmth, happiness and love for all.”
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said: “Warm greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid. May this Eid bring happiness, peace and prosperity to you all.”
Sonia greets people on Eid
New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday extended her greetings to people on the occasion of Eid.
In a message, Gandhi hoped that the holy festival bring peace and prosperity to all.
Millions celebrated Eid al-Adha or Bakri Eid with gaiety across India on Friday but the Haj tragedy in Saudi Arabia that killed over 700 pilgrims including 14 Indians cast a shadow.