Eid-ul-Azha today

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 9: Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated with religious fervor across Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow.
On the occasion, in Kashmir, the biggest congregational prayers are going to be held at Dargah Hazratbal while the Eid prayers have not been allowed at Eidgah which used to witness a huge rush of faithful.

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Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board said that Eid prayers will not be allowed at Eidgah Srinagar as request for the same was received late.
An official said that there is a weather forecast of heavy downpour for the coming few days and it would not be possible for the Waqf to make requisite arrangements.
He said that the Waqf has advised the Jamia Auqaf to ask followers to offer prayers in covered spaces of local Masjids.
Notably, Anjuman Auqaf had on July 6 written to the J&K Waqf board to make necessary arrangements for offering Eid prayers at 9 am at Eidgah Srinagar on July 10.
Auqaf has also stated that in case of inclement weather, the congregational Eid prayers will be offered at the Central Jamia Masjid, Srinagar at the scheduled time and all arrangements are pre-requisite there as well for the ease of devotees.
The Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid said that the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board has disallowed Eid prayers at Eidgah Srinagar, citing a weather forecast for a heavy downpour.
Anjuman said that in reply to the letter sent to the Wakf Board by the Anjuman for arrangements for Eid ul Azha prayers at Eidgah Srinagar, the board has, it said, conveyed its inability to facilitate prayers citing the rainy weather forecast.
It said that the Board has informed that Muslims should offer prayers at their local masjids instead. “The Anjuman members were called by the authorities and told that Waqf has declined prayer facilitation at Eidgah.”
“The authorities also said that if Aquaf wants to hold the prayers at Jamia Masjid Srinagar instead, it can only be allowed if held before 6.30 am and not after that,” Anjuman said.
Anjuman said that the attitude of the authorities towards “Muslims is highly regrettable when Eid prayers are being thwarted at both Eidgah and Jama Masjid.”
Meanwhile, ahead of Eid ul Azha, the rush of shoppers in the markets was not as it used to be earlier, however, the mandis where the sacrificial animals are being sold witnessed an immense rush.
Mehraj-ud-din Ganie, of the All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association said that the sales of sacrificial animals have picked up after three years.
He said that in the last three years, there were fewer sales due to abrogation of Article 370 and Covid-19.
He said the sales have picked up and “we are expecting that around 2.5 lakh sheep will be sold in Kashmir on Eid as sales are still going on.”
He said that due to Amarnath yatra, vehicles carrying sheep are being stopped due to which the mortality of sheep has increased and dealers are suffering losses.
“A day before, around 100 sheep died due to which the dealers were facing losses. The government should have taken wholesale dealers on board before fixing rates of animals and rates should have been as per variety as in some varieties there is 50 percent wastage while as some varieties there is just 30 to 35 percent wastage,” he said.
Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th Zilhajj and it was the same day nearly 4000 years ago when Prophet Ibrahim offered to sacrifice his son Ismail; and to observe the historic event, which took place way back, the Muslims across the globe offer sacrifices of the animals.
For the congregational prayers, the officials said that elaborate arrangements have been put in place at all the major mosques and shrines where the Eid prayers are going to be held.
While the Eid prayers are also attended by the women separately, the officials said that the necessary arrangements to facilitate women offer prayers have been made.
Officials said that on the occasion, upgraded sanitation will be maintained in all the wards of Srinagar city, especially in and around all the religious places, including Dargah Hazratbal, Peer Dastageer Sahib, Makhdoom Sahib Shrine, and other religious places.
Apart from the arrangement for the conduct of the Eid prayers, officials said that the security arrangements, too, have been finalized and a detailed plan has been readied to deal with any kind of situation.