Ongole: The Muslim fraternity in Prakasam district celebrated Bakrid with gaiety and fervor on Saturday.

In Ongole, thousands of Muslims gathered at the Eidgah in the morning for the special prayers and Khutbah, the preaching by the learned in the community. The speakers encouraged the community to cultivate peace and promote universal values and brotherhood with fellow civilizations. They prayed to the Almighty to offer sufficient rain in places like Prakasam district, which is suffering from water scarcity, and comfort the families who lost their beloved.

At the Eidgah in Singarayakonda, Welfare Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy participated in special prayers with Muslim community. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister described Bakrid as a symbol of sacrifice and emphasised that the festival’s core message is cultivating compassion and kindness toward the poor and needy. He elaborated that the tradition of ‘Qurbani’ serves as an annual reminder that one should be willing to sacrifice anything dear to them for divine pleasure. The Minister noted that sacrifice elevates human beings to nobility, and Muslims celebrate Bakrid as a commemoration of a great person’s sacrifice. He extended greetings to Muslim brothers and all citizens of the State on this auspicious occasion.

Similar prayers were done at Eidgahs in Podili, Giddalur, Markapuram, and other places as part of Bakrid. The speakers explained the importance of Eid Al-Adha and how Prophet Ibrahim offered his son Ismail for Qurbani. They prayed to Allah to provide peace all over the world.