With arrival of each sacrificial animal, the boasting game begins. Children flocking around the animals are often heard comparing not only the size or height of ‘their’ gaye, bail or bakra, but also the cost of it. Mera bail to Rs.55,000 ka hai. Humare toh dono bakre Rs. 35,000 ke hain aur ek bakra toh naani ke ghar pe hai. One often catches such remarks being exchanged. I doubt many of these bachas even know how to write these figures on paper.
There is a hubbub around. How can the tailor do this? This was so unexpected. This time it was just four dresses. The entire floor knows about the tragedy that struck this house. The mother might have to wear the dress she got last Eid, which was like two months back… a long time, indeed.
Fathers don’t lag behind either. For the last entire week there were repeated instructions about keeping that extra big meat package aside for the boss. Also be careful about the package of Mr.XYZ. Remember I met him two years back on my Hajj trip. He went on Hajj this year too, you know. We will drop it at his house, his wife will appreciate it.
Eid-ul-Azha has a great virtue attached to it but somehow, the holiday, the celebration, the competition veils the actual purpose. Today you cannot find the spirit of sacrifice, the purity of intention that caused this event of distant past to be blessed with the privilege of being commemorated till the end of time. The commercialized mindset prevailing in society sacrifices the spirituality, the integrity related to this revered ritual.
