KARACHI: Under the blazing afternoon sun at Karachi’s sprawling Northern Bypass cattle market, camel groomer Syed Ali Hassan carefully moves a pair of scissors across the thick coat of a towering camel, carving intricate geometric patterns into its fur with practiced precision.
Around him, crowds gather to watch as circles, waves and traditional Sindhi-inspired motifs slowly emerge on the animal’s body ahead of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice.
The centuries-old craft, locally known as “Oont Ki Katai,” literally “camel clipping,” transforms sacrificial camels into living works of art before they are sold in Pakistan’s bustling Eid cattle markets.
“There is no template,” Hassan told Pakistan TV Digital while trimming another design into a camel’s coat.
“I picture the pattern in my mind first. Then I make it with scissors.”
In Pakistan, Eid al-Adha triggers one of the country’s largest seasonal economic activities, with millions of goats, cows, buffaloes, sheep and camels traded in temporary livestock markets across urban centers.
The festival commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah, before God replaced the sacrifice with a ram. Muslims traditionally slaughter animals during the three-day festival and distribute meat among relatives, friends and the poor.
While goats and cows dominate Pakistan’s sacrificial markets, camels hold a special cultural place in parts of Sindh and Balochistan, where breeders often decorate and groom them before sale.
At Karachi’s market, regarded as one of Asia’s largest seasonal cattle bazaars, elaborately groomed camels attract attention from buyers willing to pay extra for animals adorned with hand-cut artwork.
Hassan, who comes from Sindh’s Daulatpur area, said he learned the craft through observation and childhood fascination rather than formal training.
“When people see it, they ask if I use a computer or copy designs,” he said. “But I make everything myself.”
His father, also involved in camel grooming, gave him early guidance on forming patterns, but Hassan says years of practice helped him perfect the art.
The work requires patience and near-perfect symmetry. A single mistake can ruin an entire design.
Despite the growing popularity of social media videos featuring elaborately groomed camels, Hassan said many customers still underestimate the labor involved.
“People ask why I charge so much,” he said. “They don’t understand how difficult it is to create these designs using only scissors.”
As Eid al-Adha celebrations begin across Pakistan, artisans like Hassan continue preserving a fading folk tradition that blends livestock culture, craftsmanship and religious festivity into one of the country’s most visually distinctive Eid customs.
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