Low-key celebrations marked

Bakrid (Eid-al-Adha) in Tamil Nadu on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic, confining the festivities to homes.

Also, the four months of COVID-19 lockdown, resulting in job loss or decreased income among the people has imposed economic hardship among many Muslims in celebrating the "festival of sacrifice" with great enthusiasm.

Several Muslims symbolically sacrifice a goat or a sheep as an act of qurbani.

"The sealing of the state borders had affected our prospects in procuring goats from the neighbouring states ahead of Bakrid. We have to depend entirely on the breeding here besides obtaining goats from the farmers within Tamil Nadu," said Nadeem of Al Khair Goat Farm, Kundrathur, here.

Due to nil arrival from the other state markets, a goat is sold for Rs 12,000 this time, he added.

"The pricing had been high this time - about Rs 2,000 more than in the previous year, per goat. Even the sale is not so brisk, as it had been in the past, due to the pandemic scare," Nadeem said.

Ahead of Bakrid, the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ), which has over 800 mosques under its control across the state, appealed to the members of the community to avoid congregation, as advised by the state government and support the administration in the fight against COVID-19 and offer prayers at home.

"We asked our members to be safe and follow healthy practices during the celebrations. We don't want the infection to spread. We even asked them to clean the places where the goats are sacrificed properly and strictly advised against public sacrifice," M Ibrahim, state secretary of TNTJ, said.

"The coronavirus has affected the overall economy. Realising that many among us are unable to buy during this festival, we made arrangements to help reach food to the deserving," he said and added "no one should go hungry during this festival."

S Ashim Basha, a city resident, said he offered prayers along with family members in the safety of his home.

"During festival times, the Triplicane Big Mosque, also called Wallajah Mosque constructed in Mughal architectural style used to be abuzz with activity. However, coronavirus has kept us indoors," he added.

Like him, several faithful confined prayers indoors at different parts of the state.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and DMK President M K Stalin among other leaders greeted people on the occasion.

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