A seven-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday begins on Monday, allowing millions of people to travel to their hometowns to celebrate the festival with family members.

Under the government-declared holiday schedule, offices will remain closed from May 25 to May 31 for employees of government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions.

The holy Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest religious festivals of Muslims, will be celebrated across the country on May 28 (Thursday).

As offices closed after works on yesterday, a large number of people started leaving the capital and other major cities, intensifying the rush at bus terminals, railway stations and launch ghats.

To ensure a smoother and more comfortable Eid journey, the government earlier revised the holiday schedule by adding an extra public holiday through a special executive order, creating a continuous seven-day vacation for employees.