Amid the bustle, noise and smog of the capital, there are times of year when the city suddenly changes: the smell of festivity fills the air and people's eyes light up. That is the mood now across Dhaka ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Although the cattle markets have not yet fully picked up, sales have begun at various cattle farms. Crowds are growing every day at Samrai Cattle Farm in the capital's Hatirjheel. Some come to choose a cow for sacrifice, others simply to show the animals to the children of the family.

The first thing you notice on entering the farm is the excitement of the children. Little ones shout on seeing the cattle from a distance: "How big that one is!" "Look at that cow's horns!"

Some take photos on their phones; some bravely stroke the cattle. For city children whose knowledge of animals is limited to books or YouTube, the experience is like a small village festival.

Local cattle of small, medium and large size are kept in separate sections. Visitors show striking interest in the white, brown, black and mixed-coloured animals, and many pose for photos in front of the big ones.

There are Bhutanese cattle too, which draw a little more curiosity because of their taller build and different features, and various breeds of goat. Many children follow the goats around, and some try to feed them.

Farm workers are several times busier than usual, spending their days rushing between caring for the animals, feeding and cleaning. They say visitors and buyers will increase as Eid draws closer.

Many city children today rarely get to see sacrificial animals up close, so farms like this are not just places to buy and sell but part of the early Eid joy for many families. Here children get to know the animals, learn the meaning of the sacrifice and spend happy time with their families.

After dusk the farm becomes even livelier. Against the bright lights of Hatirjheel, the lowing of cattle, the crowds and children's laughter create a different kind of city Eid.

Eid-ul-Azha is not just about buying an animal; it carries lessons of sacrifice, love and sharing. A small reflection of that feeling can now be seen at Samrai Cattle Farm in Hatirjheel, where the spirit of Eid reaches people even amid the city's concrete.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.