Indian-controlled Kashmir celebrates Eid-ul-Adha

The Eid- ul-Adha festival passed off as low key affair Monday in Indian- controlled Kashmir, as there were no celebrations in wake of the last month's devastating floods.

The Muslims across Indian-controlled Kashmir offered congregational prayers in prayer grounds (open spaces meant for special prayers on Eid) and mosques.

The biggest congregations were held in twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu, where men were seen shoulder-to-shoulder in prayers, bowing down in direction of the Kabba at Muslim holiest city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

The Srinagar city and others towns presented a gloomy picture.

"The floods cast shadow on the festival because of the death and destruction that it brought," said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a Srinagar resident.

Contrary to the practice of wearing new clothes on this festival, this Eid hardly any one was seen wearing new dresses.

The residents are mostly angry over the alleged apathy of local government and New Delhi.

"We have suffered a lot and it is difficult to come out of this phase," said Muzaffar Ahmad.

"Our miseries are doubled with the indifference that our government and India is showing towards us during this difficult hour."

Ahmad has lost his home and suffered a huge loss to his textile business due to floods.

Officials said the floods inflicted an estimated loss of 16 billion U.S. dollars and severely hit region's economy.

There are demands New Delhi should allow international aid to the region to help people recover and start afresh.

"Indian government should issue an official notification citing Kashmir floods as a national disaster and subsequently allow international aid agencies to carry out rehabilitation process," said Shakeel Qalander, an industrialist based in Srinagar.

"We want the government of India to allow the international aid and support to Kashmir, the way they allowed it during Lathore and Bujj natural calamities."

Kashmiris usually mark the Eid-ul-Adha with sacrifice of animals, prayer meetings but this year a sharp decrease was witnessed in offering of animal sacrifices.

Eid-ul-Adha is also known as festival of sacrifice.

The festival is celebrated to commemorate Prophet Abrahim's submission to God's will.