Tethering goats before consuming them on Bakri-Id

Walking through the bylanes of Old Delhi, one comes across pedestrians and a motorcyclist, and then... a trail of fresh red markings pouring onto the lane! An improvised goat house is revealed with a group of people freshly putting paid to goats for the impending feast on Eid.

One of them cuts and separates the choicest pieces of the goat, for the feast on Eid, New Delhi, India. The entrails and chops lie beside him... Every piece of the goat is eaten and nothing goes waste!

The feast of Bakra-Id is an occasion to give and to sacrifice. It is a day to thank the Almighty for one's good fortune and to share it with the less fortunate people. Eid al-Adha or Id-ul-Azha, as it is known in Arabic, translates as 'the feast of sacrifice'. Traditionally, Bakra-Id is marked by the consumption of animals as sacrificial offerings, after which the meat is distributed among the needy and deprived. It is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail at the behest of Allah. Hence, on this day just like Ibrahim, a true follower of Islam is expected to sacrifice something that is dear to him.

The animal sacrifices made during Bakra-Id are mainly to provide food to the poor and deprived and to mark the noble act of Ibrahim. This spirit of sacrifice is what truly underlines the spirit of Bakra-Id. Incidentally; the day also coincides with the day when the holy Quran was declared complete. Bakra-Id is celebrated from the tenth to the twelfth day in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah. Every year, while pilgrims to the Mount of Mina make animal sacrifices as part of the pilgrimage rituals, Muslims the world over celebrate Bakra-Id in a similar fashion. A goat, sheep, camel or any other four-legged animal is put paid to during one of these three days.

Festivities mark the first day, when people wear new clothes, offer prayers at the mosque, and greet friends and relatives. The celebrations are carried on through three days to ensure that the entire Muslim community partakes in the noble act of giving and sharing. Bakra-Id is celebrated all over India with much zeal and gusto, as it is in the rest of the Islamic world.

Courtesy: http://festivals.iloveindia.com/bakra-eid

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