Guwahati, Aug 1 (PTI) Most of the devotees of Assam offer their Eid al-Adha prayers at home on Saturday following a government order that did not allow large gatherings in mosques in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.

The Muslim community refrained from qurbani (animal sacrifice) this year in view of the pandemic, said officials.

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Imams along with the permitted number of worshippers offered namaz in mosques on the occasion of the festival, also known as Bakr Eid.

The persons permitted to gather at mosques and idgahs were directed to follow social distancing protocols at the time of prayer and wear facemasks.

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"The places of offering namaz must be sanitised before and after the namaz," according to a government order.

Following meetings with community leaders, the Assam government allowed the gathering of three to five persons for offering namaz in masjids in different districts on the occasion of the festival.

The administration of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district that comprises Guwahati has allowed the gathering of five devotees for offering the Eid namaz.

Authorities of Kamrup, Karbi Anglong and Barpeta permitted the presence of three persons, including imams. The figure was kept at five, again including the imam, by Karimganj, Hailakandi, Jorhat, Nalbari, Tinsukia districts.

Some devotees distributed uncooked rice, dal, oil and vegetables among needy people. PTI cor ESB

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)