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New Delhi:
'Saif Ali
Khan' and 'Kareena Kapoor' are up for "grabs" for a whopping Rs. 4
lakh (Rs 400,000). Not the celebratory couple, but a pair of goats
being sold at old Delhi's Jama Masjid bazar ahead of Eid-ul-Azha .
Interestingly, both the two-year-old goats are males!
Weighing 200 kg each, the five feet tall goats belong to the
popular Mewati breed and can be bought individually as well for Rs
2.5 lakh each.
"After Saif and Kareena got married (on Tuesday), we decided to
pair these two goats. It is a much better deal if someone buys
them together," their owner, Idris, told IANS.
Hailing from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh the goats daily consume over
a kilo of jowar, around three to four kilos of fresh green leaves
and grass and three litres of milk to maintain their stout
structure, Idris said.
However, the star of the show is a goat - also with a price tag of
Rs.4 lakh - that has on its back a natural pattern that reads like
'Allah'. This has ensured special treatment for it.
Unlike hundreds of its counterparts that were tied to a rope and
crammed in tents as they jostled for space to sit on the dusty
ground, the 'divine' goat was seated on a clean cot with a green
sheet covering his back.
"This goat is special. It's divine," its owner Abbas told IANS.
Hailing from Ajmer in Rajasthan, Abbas is among the dozens of
people who have come to sell their goats here at the market for
Eid-ul-Azha, which falls on Oct 26.
'Divine' goats like these are not unusual though and there are a
few of these show stealers in the market every year and a few more
are expected over the weekend, said sellers.
Last year, a similar goat was sold for Rs.4 lakh, shopkeepers in
the goat bazaar said.
But the goats priced between Rs.5,000 and Rs.10,000 constitute 80
percent of the sales at this temporary market which comes up every
year during this time and is open 24X7. The huge ground converts
into a marketplace during these days and sees a convergence of
goat sellers from northern India.
"Goats from Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh
belonging to breeds like Mewati, Barbari, Desi, Punjabi, Totapuri,
Sirohi and Himachali are available in the market," said Khalid
Khan, another shopkeeper.
Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated by Muslims across the globe in honour of
Prophet Abrahim, who was even willing to sacrifice his son Ismail
to please Allah. According to Muslim belief, Allah replaced Ismail
with a sheep just as Abrahim was about to slit his throat - hence
the tradition of sacrificing an animal.
According to tradition, a sacrificial goat has to be carefully
selected. It should be healthy, with a strong physique, and should
not have any deformities.
Despite the recession and inflation, the market is doing brisk
business and is set to surge further, especially over the weekend.
The shopkeepers, meanwhile, are leaving no stone unturned to
attract customers.
From painting the goat's horns in bright colours to tying
colourful leashes and anklets - the more decorated a goat is, the
better are its prospects of being sold at a higher price, said
shopkeepers. The owners don't have to go far to buy these
colourful decorative items. There are a few shops that sell them
at the spot.
Some of the white-coloured goats also carried henna designs on
their backs.
Shopkeepers know the best way to sell their goats is to decorate
them to catch the customers' eye.
(Rahul Vaishnavi can be contacted at rahul.v@ians.in)
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