5 days ago
Goats of diverse breeds flood Raja Bazaar market ahead of Bakrid
Patna: With Bakrid just days away, city's Raja Bazaar cattle market witnessed a significant surge in visitors on Thursday as the Muslim faithful purchased goats for qurbani (sacrificial rituals) during the festival on June 7.
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Sellers, who have come not only from various parts of Bihar but also from other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with thousands of goats of diverse breeds, were hopeful of selling all the cattle by Friday.
"I sold 136 indigenous goats weighing 12-18kg each, priced between Rs 11,000 and Rs 20,000. Only four goats are left. We are sure that we will sell the remaining by Friday. The market was good this year, and we witnessed a huge rush," said Moh Aslam from Begusarai.
While on an average the goats are priced between Rs 10,000-12,000, premium specimens fetched Rs 80,000-1.5 lakh, based on their size and breed like Barbari from Etawah, UP, and Totapari from Jaipur, Rajasthan, — highly sought after for their distinctive appearance. Additionally, the market features Jamnapari from UP, Ajmeri from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and various local breeds from several Bihar districts, including Buxar, Begusarai, Bhojpur, Purnia, Kishanganj, Saharsa, Arwal, Jehanabad and Siwan.
Nazre Alam, a vendor from Azamgarh's Mubarakpur in UP, said he bought 45 goats, mainly Totapari and Ajmeri breeds. "I sold 43 cattle heads within a week, each in the range of Rs 35,000 to Rs 80,000, weighing 30kg to 45kg. Of the three left, one costs Rs 1.5 lakh, weighing 140kg, while the other two are priced at Rs 95,000 (weighing 80-90 kg)," he said.
Mohd Ziaullah Khan, coordinator of the cattle market, said over 200 traders brought around 10,000 sacrificial animals for sale.
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Another vendor, Anisur Haque, a resident of Azimabad, who brought two species of goat — Sirohi from Rajasthan and Gujri of northern India — said they cost Rs 80,000 a pair. "They look more appealing predominantly because of their brown coat with dark patches and sturdy build. They weigh 40-45kg," he said.
