Eid-al-Adha celebrated across Uttarakhand amid tight security

Dehradun: Eid-al-Adha, the festival symbolising sacrifice and devotion, was celebrated across Uttarakhand on Thursday with prayers held at eidgahs and mosques amid elaborate security arrangements.

In Dehradun, thousands gathered at the historic eidgah on Chakrata Road to offer namaz. City Qazi Mufti Hashim Ahmed Qasmi appealed to people to conduct Eid prayers and ‘qurbani’ in accordance with Sharia, public hygiene norms and the law.

After prayers at Chakrata Road Eidgah, activists of Muslim Seva Sangathan staged a demonstration demanding that the cow be declared “national animal”. The group said the move was aimed at promoting social harmony and animal conservation.

Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, chairman of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board, urged people to follow the administration’s guidelines and hold religious gatherings in an orderly manner. Supporting chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s statement against offering namaz on roads, he said, “Religious activities should remain confined to designated places to avoid public inconvenience.”

To ensure peaceful celebrations, Dehradun Police divided the city into five zones, 11 sectors and 35 sub-sectors.

Eid was also celebrated in Uttarkashi district headquarters, where devotees gathered at the Jama Masjid on Bhatwari Road from early morning to offer prayers.

In Haridwar, police deployed additional personnel in sensitive areas to maintain law and order during the celebrations.

In neighbouring Agra, over 5,000 devotees gathered at the Taj Mahal and offered prayers for peace and harmony.

(With inputs from Ashish Mishra in Uttarkashi and Punit Lal in Agra)