The a lot famend Hunza valley, enveloped within the grand Himalayas and the Karakoram mountain vary, carried out its distinctive custom of communal qurbani on the event of Eidul Azha.
As a part of an historic custom, all sacrificial animals are slaughtered at a group centre and the meat is then divided among the many native inhabitants the place all households get an equal share of meat, regardless of whether or not they bought a sacrificial animal or not.
This year round one hundred thirty sacrificial animals have been slaughtered within the backyard of the group centre the place volunteers supervised the method. As a part of the custom, the house owners of the animals stay nameless.
“It’s a centuries previous custom,” stated Sher Afzal, a resident of Ali Abad space of Hunza.
Afzal leads a gaggle of volunteers which manages the method qurbani and the distribution of meat amongst native residents.
“We’re pleased and honoured to be following the follow of our forefathers,” he stated.
“Meat is distributed in equal slice to every one of the area without any discrimination. The owners of the sacrificed animals also get an equal slice of meat.”
“In cities they own half of animal and store it in deep freezers for months. This trend is not practiced in Hunza Valley.”
Explaining the method of qurbani, Afzal stated: “Native individuals have their very own animals which they provide for qurbani…the names of people that supply their animals for sacrifice is stored secret.”
Afzal stated “this yr we had round 5,200 kilogrammes of meat which was then divided amongst 1,300 households”. Therefore each family received four kilogrammes of meat.
A majority of the native inhabitants can’t afford animals for qurbani but they’re ensured an equal share of meat, he maintained.
The volunteers are tasked to make sure equal supply of meat to each family.
“We divide volunteers into totally different teams and assign them areas for the door-to-door distribution of sacrificial meat,” stated Afzal.
Piyar Ali, a resident of Ali Abad, stated “We have fun Eidul Azha maintaining the idea of sacrifice in thoughts, and equally distribute the meat…that is the precise idea of sacrifice taught by Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) and Prophet Ismail (PBUH),” one other resident stated.
“I can’t afford animal for qurbani however yearly on Eid I obtain meat,” he added.
Volunteer Sher Afzal stated individuals in Hunza have been following the centuries previous custom of qurbani, which he claims can also be gaining reputation in different areas of Gilgit Baltistan.
The people of Hunza could be onto something. While people in other parts of the world do divide their meat into some portions, it’s nothing as organised as this. This is the kind of community effort that makes sure nobody goes hungry on one of the most special days of the year.
