Scores offer prayers on Bakrid

CHENNAI: Muslims across the city on Monday congregated in different mosques to offer special prayers on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha, popularly known as Bakrid, the Islamic festival marking the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his own son as a mark of  obedience to the word of God. While rains spared the city on Monday making way for joyful celebrations, the impact of price rise dampened the mood. According to a trader who sold sacrificial animals, the price of sheep and goats had shot up this year by at least `1,500 per animal. “The fodder that you feed the goat has to be bought separately and its price too has shot up by ` three per bundle,” he said. Meanwhile, a vegetable vendor in Mir Sahib market in Royapettah said that the prices of vegetables were also up on the day of Bakrid making it a costly celebration for the city Muslims. Most of the important mosques in the city, including the Big Mosque in Triplicane, the Thousand Lights in Royapettah,  and the mosques in Ice House and Mandaveli, saw thousands of devotees offering namaz and exchanging pleasantries with their friends and relatives. Most persons were also relieved that the rain that had lashed the city in the last several days had subsided, allowing time and space for celebrations. However, at the Big Mosque in Triplicane, there was a bit of a space crunch due to water stagnation in the outer maidan, which, the devotees said, used to have a huge temporary tent put up every year for prayers.  The spirit of co-existence was also on display  at the Don Bosco School in Broadway where, during the prayers organised by the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam in the morning, several members belonging to the Christian community exchanged pleasantries with the Muslims and offered their own prayers for peace. Despite the price rise, herds of sheep, goats and even camels were seen being taken to sacrificial spots since Sunday evening in preparation for the festival. Mohammed Zakaria, who offered his prayers at the Thousand Lights mosque, said that the festival was an occasion to think about the underprivileged in the society and provide help in whatever manner one could.