Commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) willingness to sacrifice his beloved son, Hazrat Ismail, at the word God, and the miracle at the altar where the youthful prophet-to-be was replaced by a lamb at the last moment, the occasion is marked by special congregational prayers and the ritual slaughtering of lawful animals in obedience to divine commands.
The Eid-ul-Azha brings the annual Muslim pilgrimage of the Hajj in Mecca to a culmination, though of course according to the calendar of that region.
Mosques and shrines in the valley have already announced the timings of Eid prayers on Saturday, and the largest congregations in Srinagar are expected at the central Jamia Masjid and the Hazratbal shrine which houses a sacred relic of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
In their sermons for the day, clerics and religious scholars leading the prayers dwell on the philosophy of sacrifice and the inherent need of submitting oneself to the will of Allah.
Offering their selves in the service of the Supreme Being, Muslims pray for the well-being and guidance of mankind to steer it out of the strife and evil of the times.
When many would argue that the occasion was a moment for somber reflection, Eid-ul-Azha brings with it a festive air of celebration as people exchange the happy tidings of the day.
Donning new clothes, particularly among children, visiting kin and relatives to wish them joy on the occasion, giving cash gifts to young ones, and partaking of specially prepared meals have become an inextricable part of how the occasion is observed.
The ritual sacrifice of sheep or goats begins after Eid prayers and can be held till noon on the third day, with the offerings being distributed among neighbours, relatives, friends and the needy.
THE MASSIVE SPLURGE
Preparations for the occasion had begun days in advance, with tens of thousands of sheep and goats being sold in Srinagar markets, and sundry traders notching up sales to the tune of crores of rupees.
For days, garment shops, gift stores, bakeries and businesses selling essential items witnessed huge crowds as people combined festive shopping with deferred seasonal purchases to deck up their homes and indulge the young.
Mammoth crowds in markets like Lal Chowk, Residency Road, Hari Singh High Street, Nauhatta and other commercial centers in the city where shoppers from outlying districts too flocked for purchases where a telling indicator of the enormous spending by Kashmiris to embellish the joys of Eid
Bakers said that they had been working round-the-clock with additional manpower to meet the huge, almost unprecedented, demand by consumers.
For the past two days, mutton, poultry and confectioneries dominated household purchases as families strove to provide for a lavish Eid breakfast and a sumptuous lunch, often followed by invitations to married daughters and their husbands and children.
The phenomenal splurge by Kashmiris on goodies during the run up to the Eid was undeterred by a substantial hike in prices, as traders merrily flouted feeble attempts by the authorities at implementing permitted rates.
The regulatory mechanisms of the government were virtually ineffectual, if existing at all, in the face of general complaints that authorized rate lists were not being followed.
Shopping, the most visible aspect of the festival in the run-up to the Eid, grudgingly tapered off on Friday night as markets finally closed for a two-day holiday after having registered mammoth, record-breaking sales.
The rush on Eid day will be directed to shrines and mosques for special prayers before noon, and the general holiday usually constitutes rounds of near and dear ones to offer love and respect.
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