People from the Muslim community have celebrated Bakra-Eid, one of the biggest festivals of Muslims, by exchanging greetings and offering prayers to Allah at various mosques on Wednesday.

The Jame Mosque at Ghantaghar in Kathmandu saw a huge turnout of the Eid observers arriving here to offer Namaj prayers and observe the festival that falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and the final month in the Islamic calendar.

Also called Eid-ul-Azha (Adha), this festival commemorates the readiness of Abraham to sacrifice his son to honour his God's command. It falls on the 70th day after Ramadan.

Also, animal sacrifice is made on this festival and the sacrifice is divided into three parts-one for the poor, another for relatives and one for the self.

On the occasion, people take blessings from the seniors and families and relatives gather to feed on feasts of various delicacies.

According to Jame Mosque Management Committee Chairperson Abdul Samim, the monotheism lies in the heart of the Islamic belief. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated as the first major festival among the Islamic community followed by Bakra-Eid.

Kalma, Namaj, Roza, Jakat and Hajj are the pillars of the Islamic religion, added Samim.

He added that Muslim population accounts for around 5 per cent of Nepal's total population that stands at around 30 million. The Islamic community was recorded to have come into existence since the Malla era. RSS