Thousands gather across Northeast to celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha

GUWAHATI/SILCHAR/DIBRUGARH/JORHAT/SHILLONG: Eid-ul-Zuha was observed peacefully across the northeast on Monday, with Muslim pilgrims thronging mosques in the region throughout the day.
In Guwahati, the Burha Jame Masjid were thronged by hundreds to offer their prayers on the occasion. Though the festive spirit was dampened to some extent in minority-dominated areas in lower Assam from where people on large numbers of people were recently summoned for NRC hearings, people in other parts of the state gathered in large numbers to offer prayer.
Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal extended their greetings to everyone and said they hoped that Eid will help strengthen the tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood. "May the festival of sacrifice strengthen the bond of brotherhood and further the tradition of amity and communal harmony in the state," Sonowal said.
In Barak Valley, where temperatures hovered around 37 °C during the day, pilgrims braved the heat to gather in large numbers and offer prayers. Since morning, people of all ages thronged Idgahs in their respective areas. The largest prayer in Cachar district was held at the Itkhola Idgah Ground in Silchar, where the prayer was conducted by Moulana Sabbir Ahmed Laskar, the Imam of Silchar Bada Masjid.
In Karimganj, the largest Eid prayer was held at Town Idgah Ground which was presided over by Maulana Ashad Uddin, an Islamic scholar and teacher of Kazir Bazar Senior Madrassa. In Hailakandi, the main prayer was held at Katlicherra Bus Stand Idgah and conducted by Moulana Sarimul Haque Laskar, chief advisor of North East Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat, an Islamic social organization.
In Dibrugarh, people offered the special namaz in the morning at the mosques and Eidgah grounds. Later they exchanged Eid greetings.
The prayer session at Central Eidgah, Graham Bazaar, which was began at 8am, witnessed a congregation of over 3,000 devotees who gathered to offer their Eid prayers. The Alhaj Jalaluddin Ahmed Eidgah, Amolapatty began their prayer session from 8.45am and was attended by over a thousand people. The local mosques also made arrangements for the special prayers in the morning hours.
Greeting the people on the occasion, Dibrugarh district Congress spokesperson Alhaj Azad Khan on Monday said that the festival will further the spirit of peace, happiness and harmony in the society.
In Jorhat, the four idgah maidans - Teok, Kakojan, Lahdoigarh and Jorhat - were thronged by devotees since the morning. Among the four, Kakojan Idgah is the oldest. "Our Idgah was established in 1934 and it is the oldest in Jorhat district. Over 10,000 people offered their prayers here today," said Saidul Hussain, a social worker at Kakojan.
He added, "seventeen jamats of Kakojan area organized the programme here. All classes of Muslim people took part in the prayer. A large number of local people belonging to Hindu religion also came to our eidgah and offered their greetings to us."
In Meghalaya, which has a population of nearly three million, thousands of people offered namaz at idgahs and mosques in Shillong, Dawki, Nongpoh, Lad Rymbai and Byrnihat as well as in the Garo Hills region. Over 10,000 people gathered at the glass mosque of Madina Masjid.