Maharashtra government changes Bakri Eid holiday dates. Check here
1 min read 27 Jun 2023, 12:09 PM ISTMaharashtra govt changes Bakri Eid holiday to June 29th, as requested by Congress leaders due to the sighting of the new moon. Ashadi Ekadashi also falls on the same day.
PremiumMaharashtra government on Monday announced a change in the Bakri Eid holiday from June 28th to June 29th due to demand by congress leaders Arif Naseem Khan and Mudassar Patel.
The Congress leaders, wrote to CM Eknath Shinde, the first day of Bakrid in 2023 in accordance to the sighting of the new moon, is on June 29th. Thus, they requested the CM to order a change of the holiday date and issue a fresh GR regarding the same.
Ashadi Ekadashi, a major Hindu festival celebrated in Maharashtra, also falls on June 29th but it is not a public holiday.
Bakrid or Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismaeel, as an act of obedience to God’s command at which point, God intervened and provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice. Muslim’s celebrate this day annually, the act of animal sacrifice symbolizing obedience and submission to Allah. It is a 3-day festival starting on June 29th and involves offering two-unit namaz and sacrificing goats and sheeps.
Bakrid is also about caring and sharing. The meat of the sacrificed animals is divided into 3 parts. One goes to the poor, the second is distributed to relatives and the third is kept for consumption by the family. Bakrid also marks the end of Hajj rituals performed in Mecca to commemorate the Quran’s accounts of Ibrahim.
The state government prepares a list of holidays every year, however, the dates of Muslim festivals and celebrations sometimes change as they are decided on sightings of the new moon.
