Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Jul 26: The festival of Bakrid will be celebrated on July 31 in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu and on August 1 in other districts of the state of Karnataka. The state governement has issued an order prohibiting the offering of mass Namaz on these days in open grounds in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
A B Ibrahim, secretary of the department of minority welfare, Haj and Wakf has issued an order in this regard.
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The order states that mass offering of Namaz on Idgah grounds will be prohibited. Only a maximum of 50 people can offer Eid Namaz inside mosques, taking all necessary precautions as per COVID guidelines. If more people gather, they should be divided into three groups. However, except for mosques, no other places should be used for offering mass Namaz.
The government has issued certain guidelines in this respect. All those who attend Namaz at mosque should wear face masks. Entry is banned for people who are above the age of 60 years and below the age of 10.
At least six feet distance needs to be maintained while offering Namaz. Thermal scanning needs to be done before entering the mosque. Hands need to be washed in soap or sanitizer. No one should touch the holy books in the mosque. Hand shaking and embracing to greet will also not be allowed. If any strangers are seen, their movement should be monitored.
In Bengaluru, BBMP commissioner Manjunatha Prasad has ordered that animal slaughter, which is a vital part of the festival, will be restricted only to abbatoirs.
Animal sacrifice has been prohibited at public places in the city, as well as other places identified by the civic body.
"The general public is hereby notified that sacrifice of animals during Bakrid or any other religious occasion is prohibited on public roads and footpaths," said an official.
Similarly, sacrifices have also been prohibited in hospitals and nursing homes, schools and colleges.
Other prohibited places include temples, mosques, any other religious place, and parks used for worship.
"Any person or organisation violating the above (prohibitions) are liable to be prosecuted under the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act of 1976 for illegal sacrifice," said the official.
The official also suggested that a few more stringent laws will be applied to violators.
"Only authorised abattoirs are allowed to slaughter animals used for food," the official told IANS.
With inputs from IANS