Bangalore, Oct 16 (IANS) Eid-ul-Azha, the festival of sacrifice, was celebrated across Karnataka Wednesday with gaiety and religious fervour by tens of thousands of Muslims.
The festival also commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith and obedience.
A divine intervention at the last moment, however, spared Ismail’s life and a lamb was sacrificed in his stead.
In Bangalore, about 200,000 devotees congregated at Hazrath Khazi Abdul Khuddus Saheb idgah ground for prayer and sermon by the chief qazi.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah joined former railway minister Jaffer Sharief and about 100,000 devotees at Bilal idgah on Bannarghatta Road in the city’s southern suburb to offer prayers.
Donning a traditional fur cap, Siddaramaiah exchanged greetings with many devotees and participated in a grand feast later.
Considered the second biggest Muslim festival after Eid-ul Fitr after Ramadan fasting, which was celebrated in August, Muslims sacrificed sheep after the prayers to commemorate the spirit of Ibrahim’s sacrifice and distributed it to the needy.
Eid was also celebrated in cities and towns across the state including Bidar, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Hubli, Mangalore, Mysore, Raichur and Yadgir in the northern region.