Legacy of largest Eid congregation

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The country's largest Eid congregation was held in Sholakia Eidgah, Kishorganj, on Saturday morning.
Sholakia has earned reputation for holding the largest Jamaat of Eid for many years as Muslims even from distant places join the congregation.
Khatib (the one who delivers sermon during Friday prayers and Eid prayers) of the Eidgah, Mawlana Farid Uddin Masud, led the prayers at 10:00am.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims offered prayers seeking divine blessing and prosperity for the country.
At least 100,000 Muslim devotees offered prayers at Sholakia Eidgah on Saturday, the Eidgah management board informed the Prothom Alo correspondent.
President of Eidgah management board and deputy commission GSM Zafarullah said the administration has taken necessary steps to uphold the tradition of Eid prayers at Sholakia. The police superintended Anwar Hossain Khan echoed him saying that adequate measures have been taken to ensure security.
Century-old tradition
Eid congregation has been arranged in Sholakia since 1828. 
Initially Sholakia was known as Rajbaria. Some said once 125,000 (this number is known as ‘Shoa Lakh’ in Bangla) Muslim devotees offered their Eid prayers in Rajbaria. Later, the word Shoalakhia was a distorted version of ‘shoa lakh’. The place was eventually renamed as Sholakia.
Others claimed that the Mughals used to collect Tk 125,000 as revenue from this place. Sholakia’s name was derived from the amount.



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