Ajmer (Rajasthan) [India], June 7 (ANI): People flocked in large numbers at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on Saturday through the 'Jannati Darwaza' to offer prayers on the occasion of Eid-al-Adha.

Khadim, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, said that the occasion was a joyous one for people.

'A lot of people have come here to pray today on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha. It is a joyous occasion for us,' Khadim told ANI.

In Mumbai, people offered Namaz at the Jama Masjid Mahim Dargah.

A devotee at the Dargah said that it was a day of sacrifice.

'It is the day for us to sacrifice, and all people should celebrate it together...This is a day for people to come together and wash away all the evil in their minds,' devotee told ANI.

People also offered Namaz in several other cities, including Sambhal, Gorakhpur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bhopal.

Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. The day is marked by prayers, charitable acts, and the ritual sacrifice of animals, with a message of sharing and empathy at its core.

The date changes every year, as it's based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Western 365-day Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God.

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 'bakri'. It is a festival that is celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in India.

Earlier in the day, scores of devotees thronged Delhi's historic Jama Masjid to offer prayers.

Dressed in traditional attire, the worshippers came together in a spirit of devotion, unity and celebration, marking one of the most significant festivals in the Islamic calendar.

As the first light of dawn broke over old Delhi, the mosque's grand courtyard was brimming with people offering prayers and exchanging greetings of peace and goodwill.

The air echoed with chants of 'Eid Mubarak,' as families, young and old, embraced and celebrated the spirit of sacrifice and compassion that the festival symbolises. (ANI)