At Rs 1.5 lakh, who would you buy, Shahrukh or Salman?

Delhi: Both are just 24 months old, but already superstars in their own right. Shahrukh and Salman, as the entire Jama Masjid area calls them, have the highest price tag ahead of Eid-ul-Adha on Monday, claims proud owner Mohd Parvez.

According to Parvez, both Salman and Shahrukh are equally worthy. Anyone who pays Rs 1.50 lakh can take one of them home. However, so far potential buyers have only offered about Rs 90,000, but Parvez claims his goats are the best in the area and will cost nothing less than Rs 1.50 lakh each.

Parvez says he has taken care of the animals like they were a part of his family. "I knew I will have to sell them one day, but I wanted to shower my love on them till that day. Everyone in our family is attached to them. They were hardly a few days old when we brought them home and now they are 24 months old. These 140-kg, 7-feet long goats are stars of the area and people come in droves to see them," claimed Pervez.

The secret to their stardom
And though they don't sport six-pack abs, Shahrukh and Salman have a very special diet plan. "They are Ajmeri goats and we feed them special food. Their diet is 1.5 kg of channa and jaggery, two litres of milk and five kg of grass and leaves every day. This is the reason behind their striking bodies and that's what makes them so popular," said Parvez.

Brisk business
Hundreds of goats are brought to markets in old Delhi from Bulandshahr and Bijnore ahead of Eid every year. This year the prices of goats range from Rs 1,800 to Rs 55,000 depending on their size and build. This is almost a 10-20 per cent increase compared to the last year's rate. "The two-teeth ones are priced at Rs 15,000 and the six-teeth ones at Rs 55,000. Both are in high demand. I came here with 65 goats and I have already sold about 20 of them. We hope for a spike in sales as Eid approaches. The markets are open 24X7," said Mohsin, who had come from Bulandshahr.

Fact file
Muslims across the globe celebrate Eid-ul-Adha in honour of Prophet Abrahim, who was even willing to sacrifice his son Ismail to please Allah. According to Muslim belief, Allah replaced Ismail with a sheep just as Abrahim was about to slit the throat of his son. Hence the ritual of sacrificing an animal. According to tradition, a sacrificial goat has to be selected carefully. It should be healthy, with a strong physique, and should not have any deformities.