Eid al Adha (feast of the sacrifice) is the second biggest festivals in Bangladesh after Eid al Fitr (sugar festival after Ramadan).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha
Eid al Adha is a set number of days from Eid al Fitr, but still has to be declared as it is linked to the moon. It is one day, but most people have two days off and government workers three, in practice many take extra days and make it a full week.
As in many cultures people that live in the capital Dhaka often originate and have their family still elsewhere, referred to as 'my village'. This is one of those occasions where the trains are overfull, like the worldwide well known pictures of people on the roofs of trains.
A good Muslim gives one third of the cow to the poor, one third to less well off family and eats the last third with the close family. Also you are meant to give 1% of your total wealth to the poor. The giving away is done secretly, you cannot brag about it. Rather good rules if you ask me.
Even if you are poor you try your very best to get a cow. Getting a goat is an option, but that is really showing that you try but cannot; like taking a Lada to the racetrack. Out of practical reasons many people jointly buy a cow, for example with your brother or cousin. The animals are actually all male.
There are not many highways in Bangladesh and the ones that are there have two lanes and also serve for local traffic. A week before Eid the trucks with cows start to come towards Dhaka resulting in traffic jams. The record this year was a 70km tailback.
There are temporarily set up cattle markets. One close by is at the airport road. Normally this is a mostly empty space with a few plant sellers, the plants are relocated. Some infrastructure is arranged, bamboo 'sheds' are made, water points are set up and a ramp of dirt is created to drive up the pavement.
The first part is the goat market, it seems relatively small. My explanation is that it really is a poor man's choice, it is better for your status to share a cow than to have a goat. Some rich people buy some extra goats as supplement to their cow(s).
For obvious reasons I don't post the rest of the process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha
Eid al Adha is a set number of days from Eid al Fitr, but still has to be declared as it is linked to the moon. It is one day, but most people have two days off and government workers three, in practice many take extra days and make it a full week.
As in many cultures people that live in the capital Dhaka often originate and have their family still elsewhere, referred to as 'my village'. This is one of those occasions where the trains are overfull, like the worldwide well known pictures of people on the roofs of trains.
A good Muslim gives one third of the cow to the poor, one third to less well off family and eats the last third with the close family. Also you are meant to give 1% of your total wealth to the poor. The giving away is done secretly, you cannot brag about it. Rather good rules if you ask me.
Even if you are poor you try your very best to get a cow. Getting a goat is an option, but that is really showing that you try but cannot; like taking a Lada to the racetrack. Out of practical reasons many people jointly buy a cow, for example with your brother or cousin. The animals are actually all male.
There are not many highways in Bangladesh and the ones that are there have two lanes and also serve for local traffic. A week before Eid the trucks with cows start to come towards Dhaka resulting in traffic jams. The record this year was a 70km tailback.
There are temporarily set up cattle markets. One close by is at the airport road. Normally this is a mostly empty space with a few plant sellers, the plants are relocated. Some infrastructure is arranged, bamboo 'sheds' are made, water points are set up and a ramp of dirt is created to drive up the pavement.
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| The part on the left is normally mostly empty |
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| Boys earning a few extra taka by getting leaves for the goats |
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| Decorations for the cattle |
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| This train didn't really slow down, at an estimated 60 km/h I am surprised nobody got killed (this time) |
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| Queuing at the water point |
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| The man in the middle is clearly not a herder, the two other men are the dung clearers |
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| Bull shit |
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| Cutting blocks |
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| The rich family around the corner, next to the EU, has 4 cows; show-offs |
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| The important man that does the first cut |
For obvious reasons I don't post the rest of the process.
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