EIDUL AZHA: THE ECONOMICS OF SACRIFICE
“Be careful! Don’t step on the dung!” my guide warns me as I make my way through the cattle enclosures. Besides watching your step, a day at any of the markets for sacrificial animals is spent watching the four-legged creatures munching away on their assortment of fodder as you look for the best bargains among them.
Chashma, the white bull with black circles around both his eyes has been aptly named by its master, Rahim Bakhsh, and is up for sale at 250,000 rupees. A customer is haggling with Bakhsh to seal the deal at 200,000 ruppees but Bakhsh, who came to Karachi all the way from Rahim Yar Khan is shaking his head.
“The animal sure is beautiful. But who will be able to tell what it looked like after being turned into steak and kebabs,” says the customer, a young woman, checking out the other animals around her as she tries to focus on the present sale. She is accompanied by two young boys to assist her.
Buying an animal for Eidul Azha is as much about window shopping and spectacle as bargaining
Bakhsh tells her that he has more animals with him that are even more expensive than Chashma except for Baadal, a black bull munching away oblivious of becoming part of the conversation. “Baadal is for 220,000 rupees. Take Baadal if you like,” he offers.