Eid al-Adha celebrated in Delhi amid COVID-19 outbreak

Eid al-Adha was celebrated in Delhi on Saturday as people offered namaz in mosques and performed the ritual of animal sacrifice by strictly adhering to precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia greeted Delhiites on the festival.

"Hearty congratulations to you all on Eid al-Adha," Kejriwal tweeted. Amid the pandemic outbreak, the faithful maintained social distancing and wore face covers as they visited mosques in the city to offer prayers. They also avoided hugging and shaking hands with each other after the prayers to prevent the spread of the infection.

Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid in Old Delhi attracted sizeable number of people for the early morning namaz.

Shahi Imam Mufti Mukarram of Fatehpuri Masjid said, "People observed social distancing and wore masks in the mosque during namaz. The mosque was full, but the number was less than previous years, as people were not allowed to offer namaz on the streets.

"Eid al-Adha means Eid of sacrifices. We prayed for relief from the virus, peace and growth of the country and thanked the authorities to allow namaz in mosques with precautions against COVID-19," he said.

The festival, popularly known as Bakr Eid, marks festivities and sacrifice of animals, like goats and sheep, by people to express their devotion to God.