Bakr Eid celebrated with devotion, ardour

AMRITSAR: EId alAdha generally known as Bakr Id was celebrated in the mosques of the city with zeal and enthusiasm today Thousands of Muslims gathered at the Eidgah in Hall Bazar and Sultanwind Road to attend prayer

Updated At : 06:18 AM Sep 03, 2017 IST

Muslims pray at Jama Masjid Khairuddin in Amritsar on Saturday. Photo: Sunil Kumar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 2

EId al-Adha, generally known as Bakr Id, was celebrated in the mosques of the city with zeal and enthusiasm today. Thousands of Muslims gathered at the Eidgah in Hall Bazar and Sultanwind Road to attend prayer. Muslims from the peripheral towns and villages also visited the city to celebrate Id.

Maulvi Hamid Husain highlighted the significance of the day and the philosophy behind the sacrifice at Eidgah at Hall Bazaar. After offering the Id prayers, the faithful slaughtered their sacrificial animals in remembrance of Ibrahim.

Aatif, a Muslim student from Kashmir, said, “The Muslims celebrate Bakr Eid to commemorate Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, following God’s order.” Believers exchanged greetings and shared food with others on the occasion.

“I have attended the prayer in the morning at Eidgah. Now I am free and enjoying the day with friends. We have also sacrificed the goat. It would be distributed among relatives and the poor”, said Aslam a construction worker.

According to information there is around one lakh Muslims in the city. Most of them are migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The People turned out in large numbers to offer prayers in the city. Some local politicians and activists of other religions also visited the mosques and greeted the Muslims.

Earlier city had a huge Muslim population of Muslims. During partition of Punjab in 1947, the Muslim population migrated to Pakistan. Now the Gujjar (nomad tribe) and Marasi (community of traditional singers) are only Punjabi Muslims settled in the region. Apart from this, a number of Kashmiri traders, students and migrant labourers from UP, Bihar reside in the city. More than 10 mosques have been renovated in recent years with the increase the Muslim population in city.