Hyderabad: With the advent of Id-uz-Zuha (Bakrid), Muslims in Hyderabad, like elsewhere in the country, thronge to cattle markets to purchase the animals traditionally sacrificed on this day. But most are shocked at the high prices of the sacrificial animals, particularly sheep and rams.
The price of calves, sheep and rams are high because of the objections of animal rights activists and vigilant monitoring of law enforcement agencies. Many people return from cattle mandis without buying the animals, and hope to get them cheaper just before Monday.
The sacrificial animals have just started arriving in the markets and more animals from other parts of the country will arrive from Friday, which should drive prices down.
Many people this year have decided to buy sheep or goats to sacrifice instead of calves because of the increasing activism of vigilante groups that have declared themselves protectors of cows.
This year the arrival of calves has been affected very sharply, resulting in the price shooting up.
The average price of a calf is between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000. The average cost of a sheep or rams is between Rs 7,000 and Rs 9,000. The regular cattle markets are located at Jiyaguda, Golnaka Amberpet and Langar Houz. But several temporary sales points will soon come up on the Mehdipatnam-Tolichowki stretch, at Hakimpet, Mallepally, Nampally, Petlaburj, City College, Khilwat, Darusshifa, Bandlaguda, Kachiguda Kamela, Attapur, Shivrampally, Saidabad, Madannapet and Chanchalguda Musheerabad before the festival.
Some web portals are offering to supply sacrificial animals, but they have failed to attract buyers as people want to choose an animal after seeing it.
