New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of Eid ul-Adha, as India celebrated Bakrid with special prayers and charitable festivities.“Happy Eid-ul-Azha! May this occasion deepen the spirit of brotherhood and happiness in our society. Praying for everyone’s success and good health,” Modi posted on Twitter.Rahul Gandhi also shared his wishes on social media regarding this auspicious occasion. He wrote, “Wishing you and your family a very happy Bakrid. May your home be filled with warmth and togetherness today. Eid Mubarak.”

Celebration and preparations all over India

Special prayers were offered at Fatehpuri Masjid in Old Delhi, while large crowds gathered at Jama Masjid in New Delhi and various Eidgahs to offer prayers.Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma, during routine security patrolling, said that the celebrations have been completely incident-free so far and hoped that the trend would continue.Eid-ul-Azha prayers were conducted peacefully under police surveillance in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh. Temple attendant Om Prakash said the Hindu and Muslim communities have co-existed harmoniously for generations, with the temple and the Eidgah sharing a common wall.Jannati Darwaza was opened early in the morning at the Dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz in Rajasthan, where a huge crowd gathered to offer namaz.The festival is also being celebrated peacefully in other states including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar and Rajasthan.In Uttar Pradesh, Joint Commissioner of Police Bablu Kumar said 46 officers of additional SP rank and about 14 officers of deputy SP rank have been deployed with the police force of about 1,500 personnel. Meetings were held with peace committees by all SHOs and ACPs of all zones.Chandannagar Police Commissioner in West Bengal Sunil Kumar Yadav said 12 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Emergency First Response (EFR) teams would be deployed. About 22 coordination meetings were held with community leaders.“All qurbani (sacrifices) will be done only in closed areas. Meat distribution will also be done in strictly closed areas only. Traffic flow will be normal,” Yadav said.