NEW DELHI: The festival Eid-Al-Adha, widely known as Bakra Eid, is almost here. After three years of the open sale of goats being prohibited, the hustle and bustle returned with goat markets sprucing up across Delhi. The famous Meena Bazar near Jama Mashid also reopened after a three-year lull. Goats of all kinds, colours, and sizes were readily available in the market, enticing buyers.
Shahejan Ali, who has been selling goats at the market for five years, said that this year is special for sellers like him as markets have fully reopened after the lockdown. Shahejan brought a pair of white Barbra goats this year, each valued at two lakhs. “This is a Moradabadi breed; observe how much more attractive and healthy they are than other breeds. There is no rivalry for them.
Nazrul came from Shahdara to sell his Turkey breed goats (Dumbe), said, “Our two goats cost us two lakh rupees each. They require special care. So we feed them cashews, almonds, grains, and other nutritious foods.” Salman, his son, claimed that because of our emotional attachment to them and our inability to sacrifice our goats, we sold them to others. Nazrul claimed his friend had brought this pair for him straight from Turkey.
Mohammed Rizwan, another goat seller, had arrived from Mewat to offer Ablaq, a two-year-old Mewati breed fawn. Rizwan expressed his disappointment that despite offering his goat for sale at a low price, no one seems to be interested in purchasing it.
On asking the reason he said, “Ablaq is a healthy and handsome goat, which is an ideal goat for sacrifice, but it has eight teeth and most of the customers prefer two or three-tooth goats for sacrifice,” Mohammed Nazir, a customer who came to Meena market for buying goats for the upcoming Bakra Eid said this year is significant because markets are open fully after nearly three years. According to Nazir his budget of fifteen to eighteen thousand rupees is hard to fetch him a good goat. “When rates of everything have been increasing, why not goats too get expensive,” Nazir quipped.
Many people in Delhi rear goats to sell on Bakra Eid. Besides, sellers come from UP, Haryana and Rajasthan to make fast bucks by selling their goats, some whom are sold for as high a price as Rs 10 lakh.
Occasion for making bucks
Many people in Delhi rear goats to sell on Bakra Eid. Besides, sellers come from UP, Haryana and Rajasthan to make fast bucks by selling their goats, some whom are sold for as high a price as Rs 10 lakh or even higher.