Indonesians gather to pray for Hari Raya Haji despite virus surge

This aerial picture taken on Tuesday (July 20, 2021) shows Muslims attending prayers to mark the Eid al-Adha festival at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh. - AFP

JAKARTA, July 20 (AFP): Indonesians prayed outside mosques and slaughtered goats to commemorate a sombre Eid al-Adha (Hari Raya Haji) festival on Tuesday despite efforts to stop mass gatherings as coronavirus deaths skyrocket in one of the world's worst-hit countries.

This is the second year that the biggest Muslim-majority nation has celebrated the Feast of Sacrifice, which signals the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, during the pandemic.