Eid ul-Adha in Lakshadweep

The second of the two canonical Eids, and in Lakshadweep the point at which Minicoy's Maldivian cultural inheritance becomes plainly visible.

It commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. The qurbani and the sharing out of the meat are the day's central act.

Morning congregational prayer, then the sacrifice and the distribution of meat. On Minicoy the food again converges on the island's village houses, where common feasts are held rather than each household eating alone.

Congregational prayer, qurbani, and the sharing of meat.

The sacrifice is understood as obedience and as provision for the community rather than for the household alone.

Minicoy sits closer to the Maldives than to the rest of the archipelago culturally, and its Dhivehi-speaking population keeps a distinct naming and social order.