The country’s biggest congregation of Eid-ul-Fitr was held at the historic Sholakia Eidgah of the district on Tuesday.
Over 3 lakh Muslims from far and wide joined the 187th congregation of Eid-ul-Fitr at the historic Eidgah despite that venue was muddy due to the rain of the last two days, said SM Alam, deputy commissioner of the district and president of the Eidgah executive committee.
Chairman of Islahul Muslimeen Council and secretary general of Jamaat-e-Ulema Maulana Md Fariduddin Masud conducted the Eid Jamaat held at 10 am.
A special munajat was offered after the Eid prayers seeking divine blessings, peace and progress of the country as well as salvation of those killed in the barbaric Israeli attacks in Gaza of Palestine.
A stringent security measure had been in place in and around the Eidgah for smooth holding of the congregation.
The government also arranged three special train services for the convenient of the Muslims coming from distant places.
The first Eid congregation on this ground was held in 1828 when a local Dewan, named Sayeed Ahmed (R) of Haibatnagar Dewan Bari of the town, conducted Eid Jamaat on one of the fields of his own ‘Taluk’ (revenue zone). This later became known in history as the Sholakia Eidgah.
The name ‘Sholakia’ comes from Shoa Lakh, meaning ‘one lakh twenty-five thousand’ being the number of people that had come to offer their Eid prayers at the Eidgah.
The surrounding area was also named Sholakia afterwards. Later, another Dewan, Mannan Dad Khan, gave 4.35 acres of land for the Eidgah in 1950. However, according to sources, the Sholakia Eidgah now has about 7 acres of land.
The Eidgah stands on the bank of the Narosunda River and is known throughout the continent for the large number of devotees who come here every year for saying their Eid prayers.
Source: UNB
