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Bakri-Id

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Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Zuha, the holy festival of Muslims, is popularly known as Bakr-Id in India. ‘Adha’ means sacrifice and ‘Id’ means festival. So the festival is the festival of sacrifice. The name Bakr-Id is popular because of the sacrifice of goats made on the day. The festival falls on the tenth day in month of Dhu-al-Hizzah according to Muslim calendar. The celebration lasts for three days and hence gets a name of Badi-Id or Greater Id.

The festival is celebrated to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim. According to Muslim faith, to test the faith of Ibrahim, Allah asked him to sacrifice his son ‘Ismail’. Ibrahim blindfolded himself, by wrapping a cloth on his eyes, to do the difficult task. After the sacrifice when he un-wrapped the cloth from his eyes he saw a slaughtered goat laying on the ground and his son standing smiling. The festival falls on the anniversary of completion of Quran. Muslim pilgrims visit to Mecca and offer prayer in mosque, and sacrifice an animal in ground of Mina. Ibrahim was believed to have sacrificed here.

In India Bakr-Id is celebrated by Muslims in almost every state. The festival is a time to spend with family and loved ones and express gratitude to god for the food and shelter he has given. Men, and children clad in white new clothes meet at mosque ground to offer prayer and greet each other. The slaughtered goat is divided into three parts. First one for the family, second for friends and the third for the poor to see that no impoverished person is left. The traditional sweet dish for the occasion is Vermicelli or ‘sevaiyaan’. Muslims visit each others homes to give their best wishes and share the joyous mood of the festival.

In Kerala the festival is celebrated in a different way. The devotees visit a ground called Idgah to offer prayers. In the evening people meet prominent persons from the sister’s family. This strengthens the bond between the families.
Bakr-Id festival is the marketing season to buy new clothes, jewel and food items. The markets are full of people enjoying and buying gifts for each other.

Bakr-Id propagates the belief that God only requires the surrender of the will and self of a man. A true follower of Islam is expected to sacrifice something that is dear to him on the day.