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| Thrill of celebrating Eidul Azha |
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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Ibne Ahmad
As you go through the streets of Rawalpindi, you see the spectacle of goats clustered and bleating meekly on the side of the roads. To be sure, goat finding is serious business here. When they flock, the real fun of Eidul Azha begins.
The gathering of the goats is but one of numerous symbols that Eidul Azha is forthcoming. Eidul Azha gets unusual handling in this city, where the sacrifice of the ‘qurbani animal’ is done right at home amidst family enthusiasm and delight. All crowd their city of choice where their relatives live.
Eidul Azha is often a hurried affair, a completely special story and a lot of it has to do with two events — the frenzied shopping and the ‘qurbani’ of the goats that is done right at home.
The markets are largely ladies’ locale, with hundreds of little makeshift stalls offering the latest in fashion, home fittings and fixtures, dress, jewellery and other miscellany. People come out in throngs to shop and haggle for deals. Ladies often do their Eid shopping at the markets, buying gorgeous stitched and unstitched outfits to show off on Eidul Azha. The fun comes in the selection and the bargain. Vendors yell out as ladies pass by: “Sister! What can I do for you?” And at each evening’s close, they summon you with promises of unique deals, murmuring reduced prices so that shop owners in the rear can’t hear. It’s a shopper and bargainer’s dreams come true.
The second factor in boosting Eidul Azha’s pleasure level in Pindi is the ‘qurbani’ of animal. Of course it is a tough, and butcher-seeking work. But there’s a bigger scene to be seen: The enjoyment of going into town and buying goats.
This time around sale of sacrificial animals was poor because of high prices. Compared to last year, main streets of the city were not seen clogged with thousands of goats grouped by their dealers. Cars were not observed lined up on the roadside and men selecting their goats and smoothly loading them up, sometimes more than one in one vehicle, and quickly transporting them to their homes.
What a scene it was to notice vehicles beeping on the streets packed with silent goats mustering as much poise as they can. I tagged along with my family members but saw a few people buying goats and quickly transporting back to their home.
At home they are penned-up and given abundance of grass to spend the night. In several homes with kids, a unique friendship can emerge between kid and goat, which makes for a difficult ‘qurbani’ the next day. My cousin, who lived with his large joint family growing up, recollects all the cousins naming the goats and playing with them only realizing the folly the next day of such a friendship.
On the morning of Eid the men go off to an early prayer at the mosque, and then capture some butchers on their way home. After reciting the relevant prayer and giving the goats water, they swiftly perform the ‘qurbani’. After that it is up to the butchers.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
