BAKRID
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The Rituals :
Joyful merrymaking and somber rituals mark this festival. As part of the main
celebrations, every Musilm is expected to take a bath, adorn new clothes, apply Athr
and visit the mosque to offer his prayers. The day of the Eid-uz-Zuha thus starts with the
early morning Namaz in a Mosque on an empty stomach. A Do Rakat Namaz is recited
anytime from sunrise to noon and Takbir is recited aloud before eating anything.
 After Namaz, "Qurbani" (sacrifice) is performed. As per
the doctrine of Islam, sacrifice of animals signifies the sacrifice of the sacrificer
himself and his readiness to lay down his life, his interests and desires in the cause of
the truth. Every Muslim who owns more than 400g of Gold is expected to sacrifice a healthy
he-goat that is more than a year old. The sacrifice however can be performed on other
animals like camels, bulls and oxen. Thus those who cannot afford to buy a goat, pool
together and buy a bull for this purpose.
The meat is then divided into three
portions - one part for the poor, another for friends & relatives and the remaining
for the family. Women traditionally welcome the guests. Idis and gifts are
exchanged and many undertake a pilgrimage to Haj, Mecca.
Bakrid is celebrated with a ritualistic
fervor in Andhra Pradesh and in particular, the old city of Hyderabad. Temporary markets
spring up where thousands of goats are brought to the eager customers for sale priced
anywhere between Rs. 1200 to Rs. 5000 depending on the age and weight of the animal. The
essence of Bakrid pervades throughout the day with prayers and sacrifices.
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