Muslims across Jammu and Kashmir will be celebrating Eid-ul-Azha, the festival of sacrifice, on Wednesday. Lakhs of people are expected to attend congregational Eid prayers in different Eidgahs, Masjids and shrines across the State. Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th day of Zil-Hajj, the last month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Hundreds of thousands of animals are being sacrificed over the next two and a half days to commemorate the supreme sacrifice offered by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) when, in compliance with the divine command, he laid his son Prophet Ismail (AS) at the altar near the holy city of Makkah several thousand years ago. Muslims all over the world offer sacrifice of animals on the occasion to recall the unflinching submission of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and Prophet Ismail (AS) before the will of God. The occasion coincides with the performance of Hajj, one of the fundamentals of Islamic worship, spread over five days when millions of devotees perform various Manasiks, including daylong stay in Maidan-i-Arafat, stoning of the satan (devil) at Mina and Tawwaf around the holy Kaaba at Makkah. Large gatherings are expected in Srinagar and different district headquarters of the State. The biggest gathering is expected at the historic Jamia Masjid here and also the famed Hazratbal shrine. The Eid Nimaz at Jamia Masjid will be offered at 10.00 a.m, Hazratbal Shrine at 10.30 a.m, TRC Masjid 8.00 a.m and at Ziyarat Hazrat Peer Dastgeer Sahib (RA) Khanyar 11.00 a.m. After the prayers, people will be slaughtering sheep or cattle to mark the festival, an important religious occasion for the Muslims around the globe. A day before Eid-ul-Azha, markets in summer capital and elsewhere were abuzz with customers shopping till late in the evening. Glutted with latest and wide range of items, the markets wore a festive look. The long queues of vehicles on Srinagar roads resulting in frequent traffic jams was a common scene. Large number of people could be seen at Eidgah ground and elsewhere in the State purchasing sacrificial animals. However most of them were complaining that rates of animals drastically increased in comparison to last year. To attract good number of customers and to cater to their different choices, bakery shops had brought out new varieties of biscuits and pastries. The hustle was seen both in the uptown markets in Lal Chowk, Amira Kadal, Maharaja Bazaar and Residency Road as well as in the downtown markets in Nowhatta, Safakadal, Qamarwari, Nawakadal. However, traders complained of low sales blaming the continued inflation. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shalender Kumar along with team of officers today visited various shrines and masjids of Srinagar city and took stock of the arrangements put in place for the devotees on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Shalender directed the district administration for making adequate arrangements of transport, security and proper sanitation in and around the shrines and masjids. He also directed the PHE and PDD authorities for ensuring uninterrupted water and power supply during the festival days. Separatist leaders including Chairman APHC (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Chairman APHC (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman JKLF Muhammad Yasin Malik in their messages prayed for the well-being and prosperity of people and greeted Muslims across the globe. Hurriyat Conference (G) today announced that its chairman Syed Ali Geelani would offer Eid prayers at Hazratbal shrine here if the government lifted restrictions on him. Geelani, who is continuously under house arrest for last 10 months, will offer his Eid prayers at Hazratbal here and address people there in case the cordon around his residence is removed. Geelani has not been able to offer Eid prayer nor was he provided an opportunity to meet his relatives because of the restrictions imposed by administration for the last consecutive three years, said Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar in a statement today. It is slur on the Omar Abdullah-led administration that a person is not being allowed to fulfill his religious obligations. Even the tyrant regimes as a good gesture release its opponents and allow them to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Eid, he said. The Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Aasiya Andrabi on Tuesday, while felicitating the Ummah on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, urged the Muslims of Jammu Kashmir to celebrate this auspicious occasion in a simple manner. There is an atmosphere of joy and festivity prevailing all around in the Islamic world on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha and the Muslims of Jammu Kashmir in obedience to Allahs command are also offering sacrifices. However, the conditions and horrible situation prevailing in Kashmir do not allow us to celebrate the Eid in the way that the Muslims are celebrating in other parts of world. We have the bereaved families of lakhs of martyrs, we have thousands of families whose nears and dears have been subjected to enforced disappearance, we have families whose dear ones are languishing in various jails. I share grief with all of them on this occasion, said Asiya in a statement today. Muslim League chairman Mushtaq-ul-Islam has also felicitated the Ummah, urging them to think over the plight of oppressed and suppressed Muslims of Jammu & Kashmir on this auspicious occasion. Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has greeted the people of the State on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. In his messages, he hoped that this auspicious occasion would further strengthen the bonds of communal harmony and brotherhood and usher the state into a period of sustained peace, progress and prosperity. He also prayed for the well-being of the people of the State. Chairman, J&K Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra has extended his greetings to the people of the State, particularly Muslim brethren, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Speaker, J&K Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul has extended greetings to the people of the state on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. The Council of Ministers has extended warm greetings to the people of the state on the auspicious occasion. In their separate felicitation messages, they extended greetings saying that the festival would be harbinger of peace, prosperity and happiness for the people of the country especially for J&K state. They hoped that the festival will further cement the bonds of love, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony which are the hallmark of states composite culture and pluralistic ethos. The Ministers include Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Rural Development Department Ali Muhammad Sagar, Minister for Enterprises, Haj, Auqaf and Floriculture Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, Minister for Forests Mian Altaf Ahmad, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone, Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for Urban Development and Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Roads & Buildings and Mechanical Engineering Abdul Majid Wani, Minister for CA&PD and Transport Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Minister for Planning and Labour Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Housing and Horticulture, Raman Bhalla, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah. Likewise, Minister of State for Cooperatives Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma, Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Information and Technical Education Vikar Rasool, Minister of State for Revenue Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and Minister of State for Science & Technology and School Education Feroz Ahmad Khan have also greeted people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.Legislators M.Y .Tarigami and Hakeem Muhammad Yasin have also felicitated people of the state on the auspicious day of Eid-ul-Azha. The Director General Prisons, K. Rajendra Kumar has extended his warm felicitation to the officers and jawans of the Prisons Department and the people of the State on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha. Advisor to Chief Minister, Qamar Ali Akhoon, today extended the greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha to the people of the state. Deputy Chairman, J&K Legislative Council, Javid Ahmad Rana has extended greetings to the people of the state on the auspicious occasion. Deputy Speaker, J&K Legislative Assembly, Sartaj Madni also extended greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, saying that the festival would herald a new era of peace and prosperity in the state. Expressing joy and happiness over the festival of Eid-ul-Azha, All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has expressed hope that the festival would be harbinger of peace and prosperity in the State more so Kashmir valley. In his Eid greetings message, APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that festivals like Eid bring about happiness and joy among the people. Raina said such festive occasions provide a chance to the people of different communities to come close to each other while exchanging pleasantries. I wish and pray that this Eid brings peace and prosperity for the people of State more those living in the valley. I on behalf of the entire Sikh community extend wishes to the Muslim brethren on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Hope this Eid brings about joy and happiness thus bringing smiles on the faces of people of Kashmirsaid Rains..
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 07:54:35 +0000
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