BENGALURU: After a hiatus of around three years because of the pandemic and other factors, Chamarajpet Idgah Maidan is witnessing brisk business ahead of Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) Sunday. Hundreds of vendors from various parts of Karnataka thronged the ground. They said that business has bounced back compared to pre-Covid times.
From the morning, there was a big crowd at the ground, and it swelled as the day progressed. Hundreds of breeds, including Karnataka’s pride Bandur (Bannur) breed from Mandya, Tenguri breed, from the hilly tracts of Koppal, the Deccani breed of North Karnataka, Sirohi and Kota breed, from Rajasthan, and others were for sale.
The prices of the animals started from around Rs 10,000 and crossed a lakh. The special attraction at the Idgah market was a male bighorn sheep, popularly called ‘Tagaru’ in Kannada that weighed around a hundred kg, and priced at Rs 1.2 lakh. Even the Kota breeds came for over a lakh.
“Taguru needs special care and is fed dry fruits like almonds, cashew and milk. The cost of its food alone is over Rs 600 per day. We have to take care of it for more than three years to touch a hundred kg,” said a Tagaru vendor. Buyers said that rates have gone up compared with last year’s prices. “Last year, the price of a Bannur sheep was around Rs 15,000, but this year, it is Rs 20,000,” said Mohammed Taha, a customer.