By IANS
Jaipur : With only a few days left for Eid-Ul-Zuha, Jaipur’s Bakra Mandi (goat bazaar) is in full swing ahead of the Muslim festival. Talk of the town is a pair of goats, named Salman and Arbaj, each costing Rs.171,000.
Eid-Ul-Zuha, the festival signifying spirit of sacrifice, will be celebrated Friday. Muslims all around the world offer animal sacrifices on the festival in deference to Prophet Ibrahim who is believed to have agreed to slaughter his son, Ismail, on Allah’s command.
Goats with varied price tags are available in the market that comes up every year ahead of the festival in front of the Eidgah on Delhi Road.
Hundreds of goat sellers from nearby places are here. But Salman and Arbaj are the pride of the entire flock. Each weighs over 200 kg.
“They are very healthy and each has two teeth. Their daily diet includes five litres of milk, pure ghee, two kg lentils of chickpea and wheat and green fodder,” Ulfat Bano, the proud owner of these two goats told IANS.
Two other goats Farukh and Sheru weighing around 150 kg are being priced at Rs.150,000 and Rs.130,000 respectively. According to goat sellers, the price of a goat depends on its age, features and body.
A 13-month-old goat usually has two teeth and an 18-month-old goat has four.
People like to buy a goat that has two teeth. So these are always in demand and people don’t hesitate to spend a lot of money on them, said Qasim, another goat seller.
“There are many other features like colour, health and signs on the body that make the price of a goat high.”
“Goats of totapuri, nagfani, gujari and barbara breeds are available at the mandi. Goats of gujari breed are in demand as they have a good physique,” said Usman Ali, another seller.
Goat bazaars similar to the Bakra Mandi of Eidgah are also held at Motidungari Road, Kharbuja Mandi, Chardarwaja and Ramganj in the city. As Eid-Ul-Zuha approaches, a huge crowd of buyers can be seen bargaining with the sellers.