Trinkets and accessories: Animals for slaughter decked out in style

Most of these ornaments are inspired by jewellery.

LAHORE:

Following the success of the Bridal Fashion Week, the city is now gearing to take fashion off the ramp and to the bustling market of ornaments and decorations for sacrificial animals in cattle bazaars.

Gaani, jhaanjar, tikka and maala, inspired by traditional wedding ornaments, are bought for animals that will be sacrificed in the coming days. The ornaments stalls appear to be doing great business this year. These flashy trinkets can be found at every cattle market (bakra mandi) and are also quite cheap.

When asked why ornaments for cattle are so popular, Muhammad Razzaaq, who sells ornaments on his cart, says, “It’s our tradition”. Razzaaq says that he had travelled to the cattle market on Bedian Road for the past two years to sell ornaments. He says that business has been good for the past 10 days. “People buy ornaments because they want to make their sacrifice look more beautiful,” he says.



The ornament sold most is the gaani, a plastic string with colourful beads strung in it. It is usually wrapped around the animal’s, especially cow’s and bull’s, neck. A gaani can be decorated in many ways...with gaudy flowers to the more extravagant ones including a bell that falls in the middle of the animal’s neck.  A single string of gaani can range from Rs150 to Rs250.

A tikka – a small metal pendant usually embossed with Eid Mubarak - for the animal’s forehead is also a hot favourite among customers. The tikka is usually made of a string of small colourful woollen bobbles and plastic beads. It is tied across the animal’s head. The tikka usually costs less than Rs50.

Other favourites this year are jhaanjar –metallic bracelets for the feet - and maala – a traditional garland. Jhaanjars are available in various sizes and prices range from Rs50 and Rs100 a pair. A variation of this is ghungroo – a metallic bracelet with beads and tiny bells. The maala carries synthetic decorations and plastic flowers and is often used as a decoration in weddings as well. “Most of these ornaments are inspired from jewellery,” says Qayyum Khan, an ornament vendor. He says he is not aware of the history of decorating sacrificial animals, but he does posit one observation, “It is absolutely essential for Eid”.

Khan says that children are his most avid customers. “Adults are usually more occupied with purchasing the animal,” he says, “The children then bring their animals to us and ask us for ornaments.”

Hammad, 9, is one such customer at Khan’s stall. “I want to buy decoration for my animal the same way my parents buy me new clothes and things for Eid,” he says. Hammad says that he also plans to apply henna to his goat when he gets home.

Ornaments stalls mushroom in cattle markets because of the vendors’ easier access to customers. “Our decorations are eye-catching and in plain sight,” says Shakoor, a vendor selling ornaments on his bicycle, “It helps me earn a little extra Eidi.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2013.