Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Sep 13:

Eid ul-Zuha also known as Eid al-Adha and Bakr Eid was today celebrated across Odisha with religious fervour.

Thousands of Muslims thronged mosques in Cuttack, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhubaneswar among other places to offer their prayers. Mass namaaz was offered, new clothes were worn and people were seen hugging and wishing each other on the occasion.

In Cuttack, thousands of Muslims celebrated the festival of brotherhood and sacrifice, with great fanfare in over 40 mosques and religious places. In Kendrarapa, special arrangements were made in old Idgah field for the festival. More than 5,000 devotees took part in the namaz held in Kuans idgah field in Bhadrak. Similar arrangements were made in mosques of Bhubaneswar.

Special traffic and security arrangements were made by the local administration in the towns to avoid any untoward incident.

“This is a festival of brotherhood and sacrifice. Allah himself commended the Muslims to follow this tradition. We celebrate it at our homes and Madarsas after offering the namaaz,” said Sk Tamhul Hussain speaking to us from Cuttack Idgah.

“This is about sacrificing something close to us. Even though animals are sacrificed as a symbolic gesture, it is recommended to sacrifice ones negativity. We go for a mass namaz, wish each other, visit friends and families and end the day with delicious food,” he added.

Eid al-Adha is the second of two Eid festivals celebrated each year by Muslims worldwide, the other being Eid-ul-Fitr. Muslims celebrate the day, which marks the end of the Haj pilgrimage, by feasting on meat and dressing up in traditional attire.

It commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, as an act of submission to God’s command, before God intervenes through his angel Jibra’il and informs him that his sacrifice had already been accepted.

The meat from the sacrificed animal is divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbours and the remaining third is given to the poor and the needy.