In the capital New Delhi, witnesses said up to 80,000 anti-war protesters marched through the streets shouting slogans against US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Organisers said Muslims had come to the capital from other states to make their feelings known.

The demonstrators gathered at the city's main mosque, the Jama Masjid, and tried to march to the American Centre but police stopped them a few kilometres (miles) away.

There was no violence but the protest caused traffic jams for several hours.

In the eastern city of Calcutta more than 20,000 Muslims gathered to pray for those killed in the military action, to condemn the war and call for a boycott of American and British products.

Noorur Rahaman Barkati, chief cleric of Tipu Sultan Mosque, who led the prayers, told AFP: "This special Friday prayer was to condemn the US-led strike on Iraq which has so far claimed hundreds of innocent lives, including many children and women. We pray for these people who had to give their lives though they have no role in the war between the two countries."

He said they had initially planned a protest but did not want any violence.

"Muslims in this state wanted to show their solidarity against the US-led attack on Iraq, which is nothing but an act of aggression," he said, adding they were boycotting American goods.

In India's Muslim-majority state of Kashmir, police fired teargas to disperse nearly 2,000 anti-war demonstrators in Srinagar, the summer capital.

The protesters shouted anti-US and pro-Iraq slogans and some burnt effigies of Bush.

In the western city of Ahmedabad, about 3,000 Muslims gathered at the main mosque to pray for Iraqi civilians.

"We have asked our Muslims brothers to gather here to sympathise and support our peaceful protest against the Iraq war," said Mufti Shabbier Ahmad from the Gujarat Chand Committee, a Muslim organisation.

"Everyone present here wants the United Nations to intervene for a ceasefire in Iraq," he said.

"By attacking our holy places in Iraq, the US has attacked the entire Muslim community. We must all unite against terrorists like the US and Britain," Ahmad said.

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WAR.WIRE