Bakrid celebrated with prayers, charity, feasts

Madurai/Trichy: Bakrid was celebrated with religious fervour across Madurai and Trichy on Thursday, with thousands of Muslims participating in special prayers, charitable activities and festive feasts.

In Madurai, thousands gathered at Tamukkam ground and several other locations across the city to offer prayers for prosperity and world peace. People wore new clothes, exchanged greetings and distributed food and gifts to the poor and needy as part of the celebrations.

Calling Bakrid a festival of sacrifice, Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaat district president Amjath Khan said goats reared for the occasion were sacrificed and the food distributed to people in need without discrimination.

“Thousands gathered at Tamukkam ground to celebrate Bakrid in Madurai,” Khan said, adding that prayers and celebrations were also held at 25 other open grounds across the city in accordance with Islamic traditions.

In Trichy, special congregational prayers were conducted at several mosques and Eidgah grounds, including the Syed Murtuza Mosque grounds, Cantonment Eidgah grounds, Palakkarai Mosque, Tennur Mosque, Tennur Uzhavar Santhai grounds and KK Nagar Mosque.

Following the prayers, devotees exchanged greetings, distributed sweets and hosted festive feasts featuring biryani. Community members also participated in Qurbani, or ritual sacrifice, observed during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah.

However, this year’s celebrations also reflected rising food preparation costs, especially due to an increase in commercial cooking gas prices. Skilled cooks and caterers said biryani prices had risen sharply compared to last year because of higher fuel and ingredient costs.

Despite the increase, members of the Muslim community said biryani continued to remain an inseparable part of Bakrid celebrations, with families carrying forward the tradition of serving the dish to guests, friends and relatives.