Mysuru: With Eid al-Adha (popularly known as Bakrid) set to be observed tomorrow (June 7), brisk business in sheep trading has picked up near T.N. Narasimhamurthy Circle — widely known as Millennium Circle — located in front of the LIC Divisional Office in the city.
Central to the Bakrid celebrations is the ritual sacrifice, or Qurbani, of an animal — typically a goat or sheep — commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s command. As evening sets in, the area around the Circle becomes a hub of activity, with sheep sellers gathering to offer a wide variety of breeds that see high demand during the festive season.
Sheep rearers from Nanjangud, Bannur and Hunsur in Mysuru district, as well as Srirangapatna, Nagamangala and Maddur in Mandya district and parts of Chamarajanagar, have been converging on this marketplace to attract potential buyers. The trading continues until as late as 11 pm.
Popular breeds on sale include Bandur, Bannur, Sindhura, Ameengad, Yalaga, Kirgaval and Naati (local) sheep. These livestock are transported in goods vehicles and tethered at the site, where they are fed and maintained until sold.
Prices vary based on breed and weight, with some fetching over Rs. 1 lakh. The Naati Kuri, for example, is being sold for Rs. 18,000, according to a seller from Hunsur.
Drawing special attention are the ‘Fighter Kuri’ sheep, used in traditional animal fights, brought in by sellers Aslam, Zabeer, and Fayaz from Nanjangud. These are priced around Rs. 50,000, with demand continuing to rise. Boer and Tellicherry goat have also made it to the market this time
With sheep rearers and farmers selling their animals directly to customers, there is very less involvement of middlemen. The prices of sheep have risen by Rs. 2,000 to 3,000 per animal compared to last year.
Among the many buyers is one from Davangere, who travelled to Mysuru specifically for this purpose. He has already purchased 15 sheep, including several of the prized Bandur breed and is on the lookout for more.
As Bakrid approaches, the Millennium Circle transforms into a bustling livestock market with hundreds of shepherds bringing in thousands of sheep. However, the heavy footfall and haphazard parking often disrupt smooth traffic flow in the area.
Demand for butchers: Butchers are in big demand on the day of Bakrid, as they have the skill and knowledge to break down a full animal. Most importantly, the skin of the sheep or goat is removed without damaging it. As two to three animals are sacrificed in almost every house, it takes almost one to two hours to de-skin and chop the meat of a single sheep. As there are less butchers and more animals sacrificed, butchers are in great demand on the day of Bakrid. At the start of Bakrid, men go to the Eidgah for Namaz and women ready a corner of the house for sacrificing the animal. Upon their return, Qurbani in the name of God is invoked and the animal is sacrificed.
An area is then readied for hanging the sheep post sacrifice and then children of the house are assigned for distribution duties. Following the sacrifice, the meat is divided into three parts. One part is kept for themselves, another part is distributed to relatives and friends and one part is given to the poor and needy. This often takes up most of the day.
Skin donation: After the skin of the sheep or goat is removed without damaging it, the same is donated to mosques, community orphanages and madrasas, which sell these skins to leather tanning traders or industries and use the money to run their institutions and also use it for the welfare of the poor and the needy.
This post was published on June 6, 2025 6:40 pm