Families gear up to celebrate Eid-ul-Zuha

PUNE: At Anwar Shaikh's Yerawada home, preparations are on in full swing for Eid-ul-Zuha on Tuesday.
The family has already bought the sacrificial goat, travelling all the way to the Deonar bakra mandi (market) of Mumbai to get their prized animal. Celebrations will start early in the morning, beginning with a special namaaz, followed by the slaughter of the goat.
The upbeat mood is also reflected in the average price of goats in the market.
On Monday, the animal commanded anything from Rs 15,000 to as much as Rs 1.1 lakh in different pockets of the city. Barring an infection on the ears of some goats, Brisk sales were witnessed at all major markets.
The mood is jubilant among Muslim households across the city as they gear up for one of the most important dates in their calendar.
The goat sacrifice on Eid-ul-Zuha is traditionally carried out in keeping with the spirit of the story in the Quran of Prophet Ibrahim willingly accepting Allah's test to sacrifice the one thing that was dearest to Him, which in his case was his son Ismail. But just when he was about to carry out the sacrifice, Allah replaced the young boy with a lamb sent from heaven. That sacrifice is continued till date and the devout divide the meat of the animal into three parts for the poor, close relatives and the family that offers the sacrifice. The Haj pilgrimage undertaken at this time also has special sanctity for the community.
Shaikh said, "I always get together with my brother and our mother to celebrate Eid. The men of the house will go to the nearest mosque for namaaz, while the women offer prayers at home. After the sacrifice, the meat will be divided to be shared with others. Normally, small children of the house look forward to wearing new clothes. The rest of the day will be spent in cooking the special feast and sharing it with friends, family and the needy. Biryani and sheer-kurma is usually on everyone's menu. Celebrations continue for two-three days across homes as we all meet up".
Illyas Chowdhary, a meat retailer in Shivaji market, said, "Business has been good this year. Mood in the community is quite upbeat. This year, the goats too are of good quality free from any major infection, unlike last year. Choosing a goat is an individual choice and then money becomes irrelevant if the buyer falls in love with the beauty or health of the animal. People spend lakhs too for the goat which is to be ultimately sacrificed, but that is the crux of the festival. While some families choose or take away their goats beforehand, some choose to do it on the last day."
In many parts of the city, Muslim families are taking special care so as to not hurt the sentiments of the scores of citizens simultaneously celebrating Ganeshotsav, said Haji Zakir Shaikh, president of All India Qaumi Tanzeem (Western Maharashtra). "Considering the purity associated with the worship of Lord Ganapati, the slaughter of goats is being limited to common areas and clubbed by families living nearby, so as to minimize risk on inter-mingling."
Eid namaaz will be offered at different times at different mosques and eidgahs in the city. At Golibar Maidan, the timing is fixed for 9.30am.