Bhubaneswar, Oct 6 (IANS): Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated across Odisha with religious fervour Monday.

A large number of Hindu families joined the Muslims at several places as a mark of peace and brotherhood.

Muslims offered special prayers at mosques, eidgahs and open grounds in places like Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore and Sambalpur.

Hindu families visited the houses of their Muslim friends and greeted them on the occasion. Large congregations of Muslims were seen at the mosques in Cuttack, Rourkela and Bhadrak.

In several places, Muslim families invited their Hindu neighbours to join the community feast. "It was a festival of sacrifice and we prayed to Allah to give us courage to do sacrifice for the nations, society and for good cause," Mohammad Siyabuddin, a Muslim businessman in Bhubaneswar said.

"We prayed for communal peace, universal brotherhood and removal of human suffering," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former union minister Dilip Ray who joined the Muslims in their celebration at Rourkela steel city said Muslims and Hindu greet each other in the city during their festivals. They also join each other's festival and celebrate together, he said.

Eid-ul-Azha is also known as Bakrid or Eid-e-Qurban. It is the second major festival of Muslims.

Governor S.C. Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and state Congress chief Jayadeb Jena were among the prominent people to extend greetings to the Muslims on the occasion.