Pindi atmosphere displays Eid signs

Despite a ban on entry of sacrificial animals in the Rawalpindi city one can see the spectacle of goats dolled up in striking bright outfits and sparkling streamers and moaning placidly in the courtyard of houses or on the streets.

Unquestionably, goat finding while complying with the anti-coronavirus, SOPs is serious business at the cattle markets of the city. When city residents buy the cattle, the real fun of Eidul Azha begins. Eidul Azha gets extraordinary treatment in this city. Residents sacrifice the ‘Qurbani animal’ at home amidst family zeal and pleasure. All crowd their venue of choice where their relatives gather.

The central attraction of Eidul Azha is the bleating of goats and sheep everywhere, which brings about an enchantingly rustic effect in the city ambiance. Pindiites properly feed them in the intervening days.

“I got my stock of 40 goats from Khanna. Though the prices have gone up this year, sales are picking up. My goat’s meat is tender and has a good taste,” says Zafar Mehdi, a Shepherd at the Adiala Road cattle fair.

“I have groomed my sacrificial goats well and also fed them to look fat and attractive. The more attractive the sheep, the more expensive it becomes. I have been doing regular brushing of wool, hooves, and horns in an attempt to make my animals look brighter and fatter. Sheep with horns fetch more price than the ones without, from snipping off the body hair to giving sheep head massage and brushing the hair, I have been doing it all,” adds Zafar.

Anwer Ali, a native of Gujrat, purchased a stock of sheep from Wazirabad. “I have been coming here ahead of Eidul Azha for the past 15 years to sell a crossbreed variety. My sheep weigh between 30 kgs and 50 kgs and I am selling them between Rs30, 000 and Rs40, 000 for a sheep. People spend a lot of time negotiating the price and I bring down the prices if customers buy a set of 4 to 5 sheep,” he says.

Interestingly, the sheep have their own identities and names. Some of them are very camera-friendly as buyers experienced first-hand. A handsome pair ‘Heera’ and ‘Moti’ caught their attention. They adorned some fancy accessories. Rafiq Ahmed owns them, who can rattle out the names of all his sheep. “I stock them in my farm. People buy goats from me not only to sacrifice but also to keep them at home and breed,” he says.