Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha in India
Quick Facts
Many Muslims in India celebrate Eid al-Adha (Id-ul-Zuha or Bakr-Id), which is on the 10th to 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja.Name
Bakri Id/Eid ul-AdhaAlternative name
Id ul-ZuhaBakri Id/Eid ul-Adha 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013Note: During a gazetted holiday, government offices and most businesses are closed so people have a day off work.
List of dates for other years
Id-ul-Zuha (Bakr-Id), which is also known as Eid al-Adha or Id-ul-Adha, is a festival that many Muslims celebrate with special prayers, greetings and gifts. It is a gazetted holiday in India and is also referred to as the festival of sacrifice.
Eid al-Adha is called "Bakr-Id" in India due to the tradition of sacrificing a goat or "bakr". ©iStockphoto.com/David Garry
What do people do?
Id-ul-Zuha is a festival that is celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety in India and the world. Many Muslims wear new clothes and attend an open-air prayer meeting during Id-ul-Zuha. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbors and the poor. Many Muslims feel that they have a duty to ensure that all Muslims can enjoy a meat based meal during this holiday.
Public life
National, state and local government offices, post offices and banks are closed on Eid al-Adha. Islamic stores, businesses and other organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours. Those wishing to use public transport on the day may need to contact the local transport authorities to check on timetables.
Large scale prayer meetings may cause local disruption to traffic. This is particularly true of areas of India with a predominantly Muslim population.
Background
Muslims around the world believe that Allah (God) commanded Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Ibrahim followed God's orders, but his son was replaced by a sheep at the last moment. Muslims celebrate this at Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Adha is called Id-ul-Adha in Arabic and Bakr-Id in the Indian subcontinent, because of the tradition of sacrificing a goat or "bakr" in Urdu. The word "id" derived from the Arabic "iwd" means "festival" and "zuha" comes from "uzhaiyya" which translates to "sacrifice".
About Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha in other countries
Read more about Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha.Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha Observances
Note: During a gazetted holiday, government offices and most businesses are closed so people have a day off work.| Weekday | Date | Year | Name | Holiday type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | Jan 21 | 2005 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Wed | Jan 11 | 2006 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Thu | Dec 20 | 2007 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Tue | Dec 9 | 2008 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Sat | Nov 28 | 2009 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Wed | Nov 17 | 2010 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Mon | Nov 7 | 2011 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Sat | Oct 27 | 2012 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
| Wed | Oct 16 | 2013 | Bakri Id/Eid ul-Adha | Gazetted Holiday |
Other holidays in October 2012 in India
- Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti ―Tuesday, October 2, 2012
- Maha Saptami ―Sunday, October 21, 2012
- Maha Ashtami ―Monday, October 22, 2012
- Maha Navami ―Tuesday, October 23, 2012
- Dussehra ―Wednesday, October 24, 2012
- Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti ―Monday, October 29, 2012
- Halloween ―Wednesday, October 31, 2012
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