India GOEid al-Adha (Bakrid) in India: what it is and where to see it
A festival of devotion, charity and community
Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, is the second of Islam's two great festivals, usually called Bakrid in India. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, at the climax of the Hajj, and honours the Prophet Ibrahim's devotion; for a visitor it means a vast morning prayer, a city in its best clothes and a day of open doors and sweets. In 2027 it is expected on Monday 17 May, a central government holiday, but the date rests on the moon sighting and may move to 18 May.
The Festival of Sacrifice: devotion, charity and community at the climax of the Hajj
The day depends on sighting the crescent of Dhu al-Hijjah about ten days before. The central government lists a tentative date and may move it by a day; Kashmir sometimes keeps the day before.
The legend
In Islamic tradition, the Prophet Ibrahim dreams again and again that he must sacrifice his son, Ismail.
The son answers, "God willing, you will find me steadfast", and both are ready to submit.
Satan tries to talk them out of it, and Ibrahim drives him off with stones: in memory, Hajj pilgrims throw pebbles at the pillars.
God accepts their devotion and the son lives: the angel Jibreel brings a ram in his place.
So Eid al-Adha is a festival of devotion and generosity: on this day people share with family, neighbours and those in need.
Meaning
Hajj pilgrims
The festival falls during the Hajj: the day before, pilgrims stand on Mount Arafat, and on Eid itself they circle the Kaaba.
India
In India it is usually called Bakrid or Eid ul-Azha, as the subcontinent pronounces it.
Families
It is a day of open doors: relatives gather, neighbours and guests are called to the table, and an invitation home is an honour.
Customs
Eid prayer
In the morning, in their best clothes, people go to communal prayer at a mosque or an Eidgah, an open prayer ground.
📿 Takbir
Before and during the festival days the takbir is recited: "Allahu akbar", God is great.
🤲 Three shares
Families who can afford it perform the qurbani and divide it in three: for themselves, for relatives and friends, and for those in need.
👔 Finest clothes
Everyone dresses in their best, visits one another and exchanges gifts and greetings.
What people eat
🥛 Sheer khurma
vermicelli in milk with dates and nuts
Words of the festival
عيد الأضحى
Eid al-Adha
"the festival of sacrifice"
بقرعید
Bakrid
the usual name for the festival in India
قربانی
qurbani
the Eid offering, shared with those in need
تكبير
takbir
the call "Allahu akbar", God is great
عید گاہ
Eidgah
an open ground for the festival prayer
How to greet
عيد مبارك
Eid Mubarak!
"Blessed Eid": said to everyone, with an embrace, after the prayer.
True or myth
✅ True. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, after the pilgrims' day on Mount Arafat.
✅ True. It is Valiya Perunnal there, and Eid al-Fitr is Cheriya Perunnal, the small one.
❌ Myth. The three days after it are part of the festival too.
Where to celebrate
Hyderabad
Hyderabad's Eid al-Adha is a morning at the Mir Alam Eidgah, where close to a lakh pray together, then a day of visits, new clothes and festive sweets in the Old City around Charminar.
What you see on the day
Bakrid starts early. From first light people in their best clothes walk towards the mosques and Eidgahs (open prayer grounds), and the takbir, "Allahu akbar", carries over the loudspeakers. The congregational prayer fills courtyards, streets and whole fields in rows; after the sermon people embrace and say "Eid Mubarak" (blessed Eid). In Delhi the Jama Masjid prayer was around 6:00 in 2025; in Hyderabad the Mir Alam Eidgah prayer was at 9:30.
Then the festival moves indoors. For many families the central observance is the qurbani, the festival animal offering that recalls Ibrahim's devotion; by tradition it is divided into three shares, for the family, for relatives and friends and for people in need. The rest of the day, and the three days after it, are for visits, new clothes and full tables, with sheer khurma (vermicelli in milk with dates and nuts) in nearly every home.
In the days before Bakrid, livestock markets appear in many cities and some street scenes can be intense. If that is hard for you, plan around them: the prayers, the dressed-up crowds and the sweets are easy to enjoy on their own. Many shops and eateries in Muslim quarters close for the morning prayer and the family visits.
Where to see Eid al-Adha
Bakrid is not a reason to fly in, but if you are in one of these cities, the morning is worth getting up for.
Delhi
Old Delhi's Eid begins at dawn in the courtyard of the Jama Masjid, where thousands pray at once. Visits pause during prayers, so watch the congregation leave from the steps of Gate No. 1, then walk Matia Mahal Road and Bazar Chitli Qabar for sewaiyan and phirni. In the evening, qawwali at Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. Stay in Old Delhi to reach the mosque on foot. Details: [Eid al-Adha in Delhi](/en/festivals/eid-al-adha/delhi/).
Hyderabad
A morning at the Mir Alam Eidgah in Bahadurpura, where close to a lakh (100,000) prayed in 2026, led by the Khateeb of the Mecca Masjid; roads around it close from about 7:00 to 11:30. After the prayer, the Mecca Masjid courtyard, Charminar and Laad Bazaar fill with families, and the Old City's sweet shops and Irani cafés do their best business of the year: double ka meetha, qubani ka meetha, chai with Osmania biscuits.
Kerala
Here Bakrid is Valiya Perunnal, "the big festival", while Eid al-Fitr is the small one.
✅ Etiquette
Bakrid is a welcoming day. A few habits keep it that way.
- Watch from the edges — If you are not praying, stay at the edges of the Eidgah or on the mosque steps, never between or in front of the rows.
- Dress modestly — Long sleeves and long trousers or skirts; women should carry a scarf for mosques and the Nizamuddin dargah, where heads are covered. Shoes off inside.
- Eid Mubarak — Greeting people with "Eid Mubarak" is always warmly received, whoever you are. Ask before photographing anyone.
- If you are invited home — An invitation on Eid is an honour. Accept graciously; the welcome matters far more than what is on the table, and sheer khurma is vegetarian.
👣 Planning and booking
Rooms are easy around Bakrid; the moving date and the trains are the things to plan for.
- Leave a day of slack
The date is fixed by the sighting of the Dhu al-Hijjah crescent about ten days before and can shift by a day; in 2026 Jama Masjid announced 28 May while Jammu and Kashmir kept 27 May. Arrive the day before and keep a day free on either side.
- Trains a month ahead
Families travel around Eid, so book trains about a month ahead. Rooms need no special lead time: in 2026–2028 the festival falls in the hot, quiet season in Delhi and Hyderabad.
❓ FAQ
When is Eid al-Adha in 2027?
Expected on Monday 17 May 2027, the date on the central government holiday list. It depends on the moon sighting and may move to 18 May. In 2028 it is expected around 6 May.
Is Eid al-Adha a holiday in India?
Yes. Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) is on the central government's list of holidays; the listed date is tentative and can be moved by a day after the moon sighting.
What do Muslims do on Eid al-Adha?
They attend a congregational prayer in the morning, perform the qurbani if they can afford it and share it in three parts, and spend the day visiting family and friends in their best clothes.
Can non-Muslims say Eid Mubarak?
Yes, and it is warmly received. It means "blessed Eid" and is said to everyone after the prayer.
How many days is Eid al-Adha?
The main day is the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah, and the three days after it are part of the festival too. The public holiday in India is one day.
Sources (7)
- Central government holiday list 2027 (DoPT, via CSIR)
- DoPT: central government holidays 2026
- Devotees gather at Jama Masjid for Eid al-Adha, ANI
- Eid prayer timings at Eidgahs and mosques in Hyderabad, Siasat
- Telangana soaks in Bakrid fervour, The Hans India
- Traffic advisory for Bakrid prayers in Hyderabad, Telangana Today
- Bakrid 2026 on May 28, announces Jama Masjid Shahi Imam, India TV