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 sacrificed a goat or a sheep as an act of qurbani. 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. M Ibrahim, State secretary of TNTJ, said, “The virus has affected the economy. We made arrangements to help reach food to the deserving.” 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.

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

Low-key festivities inintegrated Vellore dist

Bakrid celebrations among the dominant muslim community in Vellore, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Gudiyattam, Pernambut and Visharam in intregrated Vellore district were highly muted due to the pandemic related lockdown and Sec 144 prohibitory orders currently in force, sources revealed on Saturday. Shandies in which goats were sold and purchased for the celebrations in various places in Vellore, Tirupattur and Ranipet district reported poor sales.

Spacious and huge Idgah grounds in Vaniyambadi, which usually hosts Muslim community’s prayers and is capable of accommodating up to 20,000 persons, wore a deserted look as the ground was locked. Meanwhile, Vellore police headed by the town DSP visited Ussoor on the Odugathur road following a complaint by the Hindu Makkal Katchi that cows were kept in one place for slaughter during Bakrid on Saturday. The team visited the site on Friday night and after talks with the owners of the animals succeeded in making them remove the animals.

The Puducherry government permited special prayers in many mosques of the UT with faithful wearing masks and adopting social distancing.