Livestock sellers earn huge profits in Kashmir ahead of Eid festival - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The livestock sellers here are making huge profits ahead of the Eid-Al-Adha, the feast of sacrifice. Eid-Al-Adha, also known as Eid-ul-Zuha or Bakr-Eid, is celebrated every year to mark the end of pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia . The festival is celebrated in the last month of the year according to the Islamic calendar. This year, Eid-al-Adha falls on November 28. The Muslims sacrifice the goats on Eid-al-Adha and distribute the meat among the poorer relations, friends and the needy. Livestock owners make their best profit of the year during this festival. "There is a big difference in these days. Normally we sell one-two sheep. But these days we sell around 200-400 sheep. There is rush all day, today as well there was huge rush here," said Imtiyaz Ahmad , a sheep seller. The buying and selling of cows, calves, goats, sheep and camels have a special importance on Eid-al-Adha. Muslims believe that the sacrifice is important for attaining unity with Allah. Rich or poor, everybody has to offer some sacrifice according to one's affordability. "We have come here to Eidgah, this makes us happy, we buy sheep to sacrifice in the praise of Allah. That is the reason all of us have gathered here to buy sheep," said Abdul Gani Sheikh, a customer. According to the Holy Quran, God appeared in Prophet Ibrahim ( Abraham 's) dream and asked him to sacrifice something that was most dear to him. Prophet Ibrahim decided to sacrifice his own son, Ismail. However, when he put a knife on Ismail's throat, God replaced his son with a goat through a miracle. The festival seeks to convey the message that sacrifice is supreme. The festival of Eid-al-Adha is also associated with the Haj pilgrimage, which every able-bodied Muslim must perform at least once in a lifetime.