Two goats with birthmarks that looked like the word “Allah” in Arabic were sold for a huge Rs 51 lakhs at the Bakra Mandi in Lucknow on June 27. This was just before the Bakri Eid festival.
Salman, a Barbari goat who is 18 months old, weighs 65 kg and has a birthmark on the right ear. Ghani, a Rajasthani goat, has the same weight and birthmark.
The local farmer Mushtaq Ahmad, who is 45 years old, owns the two goats. They are the most expensive ones to be sold this year.
“Salman means “humble” and “loyal” in Arabic, and “Ghani” means “rich” and “kind.” I have dresses for the goats that are green and have golden edges. About a year ago, I got Ghani from Rajasthan, and Salman was born in my house. Because they have religious symbols on them, they cost a lot. I also spent a lot of money on their special meals,” Ahmad said.
About a million goats of different kinds, like Barbari, Totapari, Punjabi Beetal, Kota, and rare types like African Boer and Swiss Sanen, are for sale at the Bakra mandi.
Most of the owners have given their animals interesting names like Pathan, Heera, Rajkumar, and Tiger, and the price starts at around Rs 10,000.
Also for sale are dumbas, which are sheep with big tails that come from Turkey, and buffaloes.
Abrar Khan, who has been in charge of the market for about ten years, says that the market looks good this time.
“This year, we hope to make more money than the last three years, when the pandemic made it hard to celebrate. “Barbari goats, which are both rare and heavy, are in high demand,” said Abrar.
