Indian Muslims marked Eid celebrations under tight controls on public prayer

Millions of Muslims around the world marked the Eid al-Adha holiday this week, known in Azerbaijan as the Gurban feast. In parts of India, however, preparations for the traditional prayers were increasingly shaped by restrictions on public gatherings, with mosque committees urging worshippers to remain inside designated prayer areas and avoid spilling onto roads or open spaces.

Reporters documented the situation in the Maliyana village in the Meerut District, where mosque officials gathered worshippers ahead of Eid to discuss logistics under heightened scrutiny. Topics included police permissions, crowd management and staggered prayer schedules.

“Please don’t gather outside the mosque gates,” a committee member told nearly 50 worshippers. “If the mosque fills up, wait for the next shift. Avoid arguments and avoid videos.”

Residents said they had received repeated advisories through messaging platforms, including notices from police urging Muslims not to hold prayers in public spaces.

According to Al Jazeera, local authorities have steadily increased monitoring of public religious gatherings in recent years.

Muslim residents say restrictions on offering prayers in open areas such as roads, parks and vacant lots have become more common over the past decade, with authorities typically citing traffic concerns and public-order considerations.

At the same time, protests by some Hindu nationalist groups against public namaz gatherings have added to the scrutiny surrounding Muslim religious events.

In response, some mosque committees have scaled back their arrangements in an effort to avoid disputes with authorities.

“We are trying to ensure there is no crowding outside the mosque,” a committee member in Meerut said.

In several towns, worshippers were encouraged to attend prayers in shifts and leave promptly once services had concluded.

Many residents in Uttar Pradesh said concerns over possible legal consequences or public backlash have changed the way Eid prayers are organized.

“Last year, some people faced cases for offering prayers in open areas. After that, people are naturally cautious,” a Muslim resident of Meerut told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Residents in some localities also reported that even brief gatherings outside mosques were being discouraged.

Reports in recent years of permits being withdrawn for public prayer sites, as well as police interventions at open-air congregations, have contributed to a noticeably more restrained atmosphere surrounding Eid celebrations this year.

By Nazrin Sadigova