Peaceful Eid al-Adha celebrations were held across Kashmir on Sunday.
The biggest congregational Eid prayers were held at Dargah Hazratbal on the banks of Dal Lake where thousands of devotees offered prayers in the morning amid a slight drizzle that brought down the mercury.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah also offered Eid prayers at Dargah Hazratbal. However, Eid prayers were not allowed at the City’s Grand Mosque, Jamia Masjid, where authorities did not allow Eid prayers to be held owing to the law-and-order situation. Officials had asked the Jamia Auqaf officials to hold Eid prayers at 6.30am which they refused. Later, security forces were deployed outside the grand mosque.
Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha also extended Eid greetings, and hoped that the festival strengthens the bonds of peace and brotherhood and brought peace, happiness and joy to everybody.
As the day progressed people could be seen visiting their relatives and distributing sacrificial meat. Several people, especially children, visited parks and gardens. Additional troops were deployed at sensitive places across the Valley.