Prices of Bakraas are likely to go up in Dehradun with Bakrid slated on Thursday drawing near. As things stand now, prices now range from Rs15,000 to Rs1.5 lakh in the markets of the city, depending upon the physiques of the animals. The most expensive Bakraa weighing 90 kg was recently sold in Roorkee for Rs1.5 lakh. That Bakraa eats four dozens of bananas and similar quantity of apples everyday.

Fare of Bakraas started from September 20 near     Inamullah building in Dehradun. People generally celebrate the festival for three consecutive days. Many, however, choose to celebrate it on the first day which is meant to be Afzal (auspicious).

People start buying the Bakraas at least three days before the festival. The buyers say the glossy skins  of the animals attract them  and the prices are  set according to their looks. “We check the tooth of the Bakraas. They must  be all right. Besides, it must have good feet. A lame Bakraa is not worth anything. It must be  hale and hearty too with no scar of injury anywhere over its body. Only a spotless and healthy   Bakraa is deemed to be aptly  consecrated for sacrifice   (Kurbaani) on the holy occasion,” said one of the buyers, Asif who was found roaming about the markets.

 There is another condition enjoined on the devotes who are aspiring to put an animal on sacrifice. “One must buy the Bakraa from his hard- earned money, not from ill-gotten one,” said another buyer, Abdul.

He further said if a Bakraa happens to bear a mark of Allah it is not sold or sacrificed. “The hide is framed as it is considered to bring luck to the  owner,” he said.

“We feed the Bakraa  chana, sani, jackfruit, neem and gular leaves,” said Mubashir Sheikh, resident of Gandhi Road. Bakraas of different breeds like Rajasthani breed, Totapari breed, Desi breed and Barbara breed are available in the markets. Barbara breed Bakraas are mostly preferred by the buyers. The butchers are booked a week before the festival. Butchers’ charges range  from Rs400 to Rs1000, it is learnt.