Mysore/Mysuru: With just a few days remaining for Bakrid Festival, COVID pandemic has cast a shadow over the sale of sheep as the sales have remained dull with sheep traders, who had brought their livestock to city waiting for customers. The LIC Circle in city, which used to be a spot of hectic activity with traders thronging the Circle with their livestock 15 days before the festival to do business, is wearing a dull look with just a few sheep traders waiting to do business.

Usually, sheep rearers and traders from various districts used to come to city to do business. Traders used to purchase sheep from Chamarajanagar, Bannur, Mandya, Malavalli and Hassan and bring the sheep to Mysuru and conduct good business at Kurimandi in Naidu Nagar, Bannimantap and other places in city. People used to buy sheep at a cost of Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 per sheep depending on the size and breed.

But now, due to the pandemic, traders from other districts have not arrived and hence a few local sheep traders are conducting business.

Yogesh, a sheep trader from Bannur, speaking to SOM said that he used to sell about 30 to 40 sheep previously during Bakrid season. “Due to COVID, sale of sheep was not as expected since two years. Last year I had sold 15 sheep in Mysuru, but this year, apart from two sheep, which I sold in my village, no sheep has been sold in Mysuru. I came with my sheep to Bannimantap on Thursday at about 4 pm and till 6 pm, not a single customer arrived to buy or even enquire about the price,” he said.

About Rs. 1,500 is spent on each sheep per month and Rs. 18,000 is spent annually to look after it. Customers ask for half the price we quote and we do not even recover the money we had spent on the sheep, let alone making profit, he added.

Mohammed Imran, a resident of Udayagiri said that he used to sell about 80 sheep during Bakrid, but due to COVID, the sales have dropped drastically. “I have reared 18 sheep myself and had bought 13 sheep from outside. I have sold 15 sheep and 16 sheep is yet to be sold. Even after waiting from dawn to dusk, there are no takers and if at all customers come, they ask for half the price. How can we earn our livelihood, if this continues,” he said.

Meanwhile, a few traders are attempting to sell their livestock through social media hoping to get a good price for their sheep.    

Bakrid, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is celebrated with religious fervour by Muslim brethren across the globe in commemoration of the Prophet Ibrahim’s absolute dedication to Allah. It is meant to honour the sacrifice that Ibrahim was more than willing to make for his God.   

Muslims across the globe sacrifice a goat or sheep in the spirit of sacrifice. It is obligatory for the meal prepared from the sacrifice to be distributed in three equal parts. Where one portion feeds the family, the second feeds the relatives and the third goes to the poor and needy. 

The festival coincides with the Haj pilgrimage in Mecca. Prayers are offered in the Mosques and the sacrificial meat is then distributed after the Id prayers. Special delicacies are prepared and served among family and friends on the occasion.

Giving charity and feeding the poor on this occasion is also part of Muslim tradition.