Amidst scattered protests over Saddam Hussein's hanging, Muslims thronged mosques and idgahs across the country to offer prayers as Eid-ul-Zuha, marking prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son Ismael on orders of God, was celebrated with traditional bonhomie on Monday.
Security forces kept a hawk eye vigil as young and old alike, dressed in festive finery, congregated at mosques and in open air to offer prayers on the occasion of Islam's second biggest annual festival.
After the prayers, devotees exchanged greetings and made traditional animal sacrifices to mark Eid-ul-Zuha or the feast of sacrifice.
At many places, Muslims sporting black badges prayed for executed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and shouted slogans denouncing his hanging and torched effigies of US President George Bush.
In Patna, hundreds of Muslims thronged mosques in old clothes with black badges tied around their arms to protest Saddam's execution.
Muslims in West Bengal too prayed for Saddam while nearly 45,000 faithful in Ahmedabad in Gujarat stayed away from Eid festivities to protest the deposed leader's hanging.
In the same state in Junagadh, some 10,000 Muslims, after offering prayers, passed a resolution condemning Saddam's execution.
{{/usCountry}}In the same state in Junagadh, some 10,000 Muslims, after offering prayers, passed a resolution condemning Saddam's execution.
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