The Muslim community in Telangana today celebrated Bakrid, also known as Eid-ul-adha. Though the festival was celebrated with pomp and gaiety across the state, the celebrations were conducted in a "Covid-appropriate" manner.
Although several parts of the state witnessed continuous spells of rain, this did not dampen the spirits of the devout who braved the showers and visited mosques and idgahs to pray.
Most were seen observing all the necessary Covid-19 safety norms, including maintaining social distance and wearing face masks, in order to keep themselves safe from the ongoing pandemic. As a result, several mosques did not witness the hugs traditionally shared by members of the community after the Eid prayers.
Many Muslim households also performed ritual animal sacrifices using goats and sheep on the occasion.
In the run-up to the festival, the state government had taken several steps to ensure that no untoward incidents marred the celebrations.
As part of this effort, yesterday, the Telangana High Court had told the state police to
conduct regular checks on cattle-carrying vehicles to prevent any incidents of cow smuggling and had directed the police to bar any transporters carrying cattle without the proper documentation from doing so. It had also asked the police to seize all vehicles that lacked the valid permits and documents for cattle transporting.
Further, it had asked cow vigilantes to inform the police about any instances of the illegal transportation of cattle.