Eid-ul-Zuha being celebrated with traditional fervour

Eid-ul-Zuha is being celebrated with traditional fervour across the country today.

New Delhi/Hyderabad/ Mumbai, Dec 21 : Eid-ul-Zuha is being celebrated with traditional fervour across the country today.

Thousands of Muslims attended the special morning prayers in mosques to mark the festival.

In New Delhi, despite early morning fog, thousands of devotees converged at the Jama Masjid to offer Eid 'namaaz'.

On this day, Muslims sacrifice goats and distribute its meat among family, friends and the poor.

Muslims believe a sacrificed goat is a reflection of one's own spiritual sacrifice, and see it as essential for achieving communion with "Allah".

Eid-ul-Zuha is a time to offer the perfect goat to the Prophet.

The festival is also being celebrated in Hyderabad and Mumbai.

"We celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha because our Prophet Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his own son, Ismail, in obedience to God's command. That is why we make goat sacrifices in this festival to remember and pay respect to the supreme sacrifice of our Prophet Ibrahim," said M M Khan, a devotee.

Mohammad Asraf Khan, another devotee, said: "We hope that all our Muslim brothers around the world will celebrate the festival with happiness and joy and will remember the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim. We wish that all our brothers live happily."

Ahead of the festival, people thronged markets to buy new clothes and gifts and prepared sweets.

The festival also marks the end of the Haj.

ANI