Srinagar, May 28 -- In Kashmir, Eid ul-Adha begins long before the prayer. You see it in the crowded markets, where people bargain over animals and children pull their parents toward sweet shops. Tailors work late into the night. Bakeries smell like cardamom and fresh bread. Everyone's preparing for something bigger than a celebration.

This festival is built around a story most of us know: Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his son, Ismail, to obey God. At the last moment, a ram was offered in his place. That story isn't just religious-it's deeply human. It's about giving up something you love for something greater. And in Kashmir, where life itself often asks for sacrifice, it feels especially close.

Eid morning starts early. Men g...