IANS
Mumbai/New Delhi
Millions celebrated Eid al-Adha with gaiety across the country yesterday but the Haj tragedy in Saudi Arabia that killed over 700 pilgrims including 14 Indians cast a shadow.
Eidgah grounds and mosques across the country attracted tens of thousands who offered prayers and extended Eid greetings to one another.
Reports of Eid celebrations poured in from Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, distant Lakshadweep and even Meghalaya.
Kerala celebrated the festival on Thursday.
Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged sweets on the occasion on the Line of Control in Poonch, Kupwara and Baramulla districts in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets and greetings at their only land border in Punjab at Attari, not far from Amritsar.
The day, however, saw clashes between security forces and protesters in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Special prayers were also offered yesterday for those who died in a stampede at the Haj at mosques in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.
It was the worst Haj disaster in 25 years. Among the victims was one from Maharashtra and 13 others from other parts of India.
Thousands prayed in mosques in Shillong, Dawki, Nongpoh, Lad Rymbai and Byrnihat and in the Garo Hills.
“We prayed for peace in our homes and in the world,” Shillong Muslim Union general secretary Alhaj Sayeedullah Nongrum said. Muslims in Madhya Pradesh celebrated with special Eid prayers. The main Eid congregation was held at Eidgah in Bhopal.
Governor Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greeted the people on the occasion.
Children greet each other after Eid-al-Adha prayers in Kolkata yesterday.
