Eid al-Adha Market 2

We next went to the main animal market.  This did not have many children, and also had a much larger variety of animals – goats, many breeds of cows, water buffalo and camels.  It was also a little dangerous because, being a real market, people would be herding bulls through the “roads” and you’d have to jump out of the way to avoid being gored or trampled.  A local TV crew was there and filmed us diving for cover.  They were quite curious as to why tourists would be visiting this market and interviewed us.  We were the only non-Bangladeshi out of thousands of people there.

Here, you had your choice of goats,

 cows,

and even camels.

You can't forget your knife

or the feed for the week until Eid.

 
A large bull cost about $2,000 - or almost a year's wages for a well-paid person like my driver, several year's wages for someone working in the garment factories and impossible to purchase for the average Bangladeshi.  Camels are the most expensive, and we only saw that one group at the market.  A local friend said her family no longer celebrates the holiday.  At one time it was a way for the wealthy members of a village to share with those less fortunate; now, she thinks, it has become something different.  Once you've bought your large animal, you keep it tied up outside your house until Eid to let everyone know how rich you are.  At least everyone does still give one-third to the poor, who circulate through the rich areas of town on the day of sacrifice, so even if the motives aren't totally pure the benefit is real. 


Now that I've seen all of these animals, I'm very glad I'm leaving town next week.  Walking through the markets felt like walking through death row.  You knew that every animal would be dead in a week.