Muslims around the world are celebrating Islam's biggest holiday with prayers, gifts, traditional visits with family and friends, and feasts. Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, commemorates what Muslims believe was Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in accordance with God's will, though in the end God provides him with a sheep to sacrifice instead. In remembrance, Muslim faithful slaughter sheep, cattle, camels and other livestock in an act of sacrifice to show gratitude for their blessings, divide the meat into three equal portions and give some of it to the poor.
The Eid photo album, from New Delhi to New York.
On Bhagat Singh's 117th birth anniversary, Utkarsh Mishra recounts fascinating incidents from the legend's life.
Athletes and officials from Muslim countries, gathered together for a shared prayer in masks.
A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court questioning the sacrifice of animals on Bakr-Eid and the validity of a provision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, saying the practice was "cruel, inhuman, barbarian" and cannot be protected in the name of religion.
Hriiyio was only 6 months old when his father, a soldier in the 1 Naga Battalion met a warrior's death in Drass.
Rediff reader Milon Kumar Sanyal, 72 from Kolkata tells us what he did with his first salary.
As politicians fast to score brownie points, they should know that not every fast has a desirable ending, says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
Over 1.5 lakh Indians along with tens of thousands of Muslims from across the world began moving from the holy city of Mecca to nearby tent-city of Mina, marking the beginning of the annual Haj pilgrimage.
No injuries were reported and the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Held under the aegis of the Sikh Student's Federation at Moti Bagh Gurdwara here, the event saw a bhog (feast) being organised "in the memory" of Gandhi's killers Kehar Singh, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, and recitation of the 'Akhand Path'.
'He wrote a letter to his parents every night, and read the Gita every morning before going about his work.'
'... their love was jinxed.' 'His celluloid path to his partner's heart was seldom smooth; it had to contend with greedy relatives and indecisive sweethearts, who were more ready to sacrifice than woo and wed.'
The deceased jawan was identified as 20-year-old Sepoy Mustapure Shubham Suryakant, a resident of Konerwadi village in Parbhani district of Maharashtra.
'There are three issues related to beef consumption and cow slaughter. One is the British origin of cow slaughter. Two, if slaughter of cows is sanctioned by Islamic scriptures and three, the environmental impact of beef consumption.'
Many scholars have suggested that the importance of the cow and her association with the pantheon grew with the growing influence of the cult of Krishna,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta.
'He is 47 years old and not married. Since his son or daughter can contest for Parliament only 25 years after being born, the earliest, if he marries in December, would be 2043.' 'So this, pretty much, is the end of the road for dynastic rule in the party,' says T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan.
Hasnain had butchered 14 of his family members and then ended life after a weekend feast on Sunday.
Over 2 million Muslims, including 136,000 Indians, will begin Haj when they assemble in the valley of Mina as Saudi authorities said preparations have been completed for the world's largest annual gathering after the city underwent a multi-billion overhaul.
A Rediff reader recently travelled to Bihar's remote naxal effected district of Jamui... to attend a wedding! Snapshots from an unforgetful journey
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'If policy-makers hold the lives of animals to be more significant than the welfare of a human populace, I can't believe that they're likely to do anything progressive for India.'
