Eid al-Adha 2013: Muslims Across the World Celebrate Festival of Sacrifice [VIDEOS+PHOTOS]

Muslims across the world on Wednesday celebrated Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, by offering prayers and sacrifices of animals.

Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar, and lasts for four days. Dhu al-Hijjah is a sacred month which marks the end of the year.

Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr are two feast festivals which are celebrated widely by Muslims across the world.

Eid al-Fitr, which is the festival of fast-breaking, is connected only with sacred timings, while Eid al-Adha is associated with sacred timings and sacred places like Arafat, Mina, Muzdalifah and Makkah, according to the Fiqh Council of North America.

In most Islamic countries the festival was celebrated on 15 October. But in India, it is being celebrated a day later.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wished people on the occasion of Eid.

"It is an occasion to remind ourselves of the path of selfless sacrifice and forgiveness followed by Hazrat Ibrahim and to emulate the same," President Mukherjee said in his message.

Eid al-Adha is also called Bakr Eid. It celebrates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to god.

During the festival, Muslims slaughter animals - mainly cows, goats, sheep and camels, to honour the sacrifice made by Ibrahim and pay him a tribute.

But this year in India, leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has urged Muslims not to sacrifice cows during Eid, to respect Hindu sentiment, The Times of India reported.

Check out the videos and photos of Eid al-Adha celebrations from around the world.