Daily Times

KARACHI: The streets and roundabout of almost all areas were full of life as craftsmen selling decorative items at their makeshift stalls for sacrificial animals remained busy till first day of Eid-ul-Adha.

People, especially young boys and girls, kept their animals decorated with items made available for the purpose from the first day when the animals arrived from the cattle markets. The animals were treated like super models. Children were proudly displaying their animals while touring streets of areas.

One teenager, Omar Farooq, told Daily Times that he spent his whole pocket money for decorative stuff for bull because he wanted his bull look different from others to make him feel proud.

Liaqat, who was with his son at the roundabout of Clifton, said that amongst the many interesting traditions Pakistanis follow on Eid, perhaps the most exciting is the dressing up of the animals purchase to sacrifice because it is the desire of children that their sacrificial animal must look different from others. “At every corner we find colorful trinkets with interesting animal accessories”, he observed.

Zohaib Khan, at a makeshift stall, sells variety of accessories that can be placed on different parts of the sacrificial animals. One of the most sought after items is known as the ghaani, a garland of sort to hang around the animal’s neck. “These are handmade from cloth and are often embellished with flowers. They are used to adorn the necks of goats and cows as well”, he said.

The bigger animals like camels and bulls usually require the thalgaare which covers their neck and forehead. The moorah, which is a veil like structure with a leather strap that holds it in place. “The moorah is attached to the face of a goat and generally covers the nose and the neck as well”, explained Khan

The bigger veil is called a kalyaara. It is frequently accompanied by the maatha a triangular piece of cloth whose edges are embroidered with shiny materials that goes on the forehead of cows and camels in particular.

According to Asif Rajput who is running a stall, said that qurbaani means to sacrifice, people express their sentiments and love by decorating their animals.

He said that children become closure with their animals so they want to see them full of decoration and drag their parents here to buy knick-knacks they can adorn their new friends with sporting glowing colors like yellow, red and electric blue, the pieces stand out against the fur coat of the animals.

He said that such items are modestly priced between Rs50 to Rs2000 for and people buy it because it is the game of only a week. As traders gave their animals unique names like “Sultan” “Dubbang”, “Shairo”, “Moon” the same children do with them and to make them these awarded name they adorn them, he added

Moeen-ud-Din, a citizen, said that it seems as there was a fashion show going on as my street looks like ramp where different animals perform cat-walk.

Published in Daily Times, September 2^nd 2017.