Islamabad - Colourful garlands for decorating sacrificial animals are attracting citizens in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on approaching Eid-ul-Azha. During a visit of cattle market, it was observed that citizens are using different kinds of colourful garlands of beads, crowns and bells to decorate their sacrificial animals. The sellers are cashing the occasion and charging higher prices for such things, as a pair of `payals’ for Rs 150-200, a bell for Rs 150 and a garland of beads for Rs 400.
Talking to APP, Ali Ahmed, an animal `decoration’ seller, said that he has been doing this business for the last 10 years and facilitating the residents to decorate their sacrificial animals. “Overall, it is a slow business but a few days before Eid-ul-Azha it becomes a booming one that earns much more for my family,” he said. “We bring different kinds of garlands for animals from Sahiwal, Multan, Lahore and Sindh. These decorations increase the beauty of animals and also attract buyers,” he added. Ali said that some buyers even decorate the sacrificial animals with mehndi.
Noor Muhammad, an animal seller belonging to Bahawalpur, said that as a bride does not look beautiful without `jewellery, similarly, sacrificial animals do not look beautiful without jewellery.
He said that Eid provides employment opportunities for the common man to earn money.
The vendors walk around cattle markets where they could find different kinds of animal decoration items, especially for goats, sheep, cows, camels and even for buffalo are being sold. The sellers of sacrificial animals also decorate their animals to attract buyers. Most of the people specially children after buying animals visit decorative item shops to buy these for the sacrificial animals.