Peaceful prayers mark Eid-al-Adha celebrations across Hyderabad and surrounding districts.

The South-West zone of Hyderabad witnessed gathering at three prominent Idgahs namely, Hockey Ground, First Lancer and Langar Houz. Each location reportedly drew close to 6,000 worshippers, DCP G. Chandra Mohan said, “We have adequate police deployment at each site to manage the crowd and ensure smooth conduct of the event. The turnout was disciplined and cooperative.” All prayers were concluded by 10:30 a.m. with other customs like qurbani expected to be finished by 2 p.m. Surrounding districts such as the Sangareddy district also saw its Idgahs drawing large numbers of devotees participating in prayers without any disruptions.

In preparation for today’s festival, Hyderabad’s goat markets in Toli Chowki, Mehdipatnam and several parts of the Old City have been buzzing with activity as families flock to select healthy animals for the qurbani ritual. Abdul, a vendor in Toli Chowki described the atmosphere, “This is our busiest time of year. Customers want strong, well-cared-for animals to honour this tradition respectfully.” At home preparations have been just as elaborate as families look forward to share their festive meals of classic dishes like biryani, kebab and sheer khurma. Central to Eid-al-Adha is the act of distributing the sacrificial meat to neighbours, family and the less fortunate. A resident of Old City, Farzana Begum reflected, “Giving to those in need is what Eid al-Adha is truly about community and compassion. It’s a reminder that blessings are meant to be shared.”