Ali Hassan is a farmer by profession. He belongs to the small town of Tharparkar and has learned the art of camel hair designing from his forefathers. Every year, he visits Karachi a few weeks before Eid-ul-Azha in a bid to get a reward for his unusual artistry. Having earned 30,000 rupees last year, he anticipates good money this year too. He further said, “I can make more than 15 types of different designs. Depending on the size and colour of the camel, I make the design that most suits the animal.” In a huge market of more than 500 camels, there were only a few camel hair stylists. Not every trader believes that a haircut will enhance the value of their animal.

A Pakistani barber is giving an intricate haircut to camels and creating fascinating designs on their coats- using just a pair of scissors. Ali Hassan, 48, a talented camel hair designer from a small village in Naushero Feroze, travels over 200 miles to Asia’s biggest cattle market in Karachi every year, weeks ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Azha to earn extra money by using his talent to create beautiful artwork on camels. Muslims around the world sacrifice livestock, including camel in a centuries-old ritual central to one of their most sacred festivals, Eid-ul-azha. Families are expected to sacrifice good-quality animals and then divide the usable meat into three. One part they consume themselves, another goes to friends, and the final third is given to the poor.