Ramzan festivities enliven Burail

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23

Ramzan, the month of fasting, has spiced up the night life at Burail, where a large number of Muslims live. As they break their fast after the sunset, the road outside the Sector 45 mosque turns into a food street, offering several delicacies to tickle their taste buds.

For vendors, as in the case of Mohammad Fayaz Alam, who runs a fruit juice stall near the mosque, after a day-long lull, it is the time for brisk business. “People from all walks of life visit the market in the night. They eat food, purchase clothes and buy sweets. The area remains abuzz with activity till midnight,” he said. Farkan, who runs a dhaba on the same street, said, “In the initial days of the holy month, they did brisk business. As everyone observes fast, a majority of the people avoid cooking at home. After the evening prayers, they throng food stalls. Chicken and mutton are preferred due to high protein content. They buy food for the next day. But now, the business after the namaz of taraweeh has witness a drop as a majority of people have left for their native places.”

Naseem Ahmed, who works in the Electricity Department, said, “Though Burail is a home to many local Muslims, a large number of migrants also live in and around the area. Many migrant Muslims have returned to their villages for the Eid celebrations.”

Twenty-year-old Sajid, who was selling a phirni (a kind of dried noodles which is dipped in hot milk in the night and consumed in the morning before beginning the fast), said he eagerly awaited the rozas. “Every night during the rozas turns into a festival. Not only Muslims, people belonging to all communities visit the market to purchase valuables and relish exquisite food,” said Sajid.

The cloth merchants also make a quick buck. “As men enter the mosque to offer namaz, women remain busy shopping clothes. We have kept a huge range of clothes,” said Feroze, who came from Ambala to sell cloths.

Repeated requests were made by the imam not to create undue ruckus while returning home and break people's sleep. Outside the Sector 20 Jama Masjid, Tajinder Singh was busy buying perfume (ittar). “Visiting the Sector 45 mosque area in the night reminds one of old Delhi. Chandigarh is an planned city. The Market being run outside the Sector 20 mosque takes one back in time. It is unlike the culture of Chandigarh. Such small markets offers lots of stuff at a cheap price. One can find a variety of breads and perfumes from these roadside stalls. I always look forward to such religious festival to get the material of my choice,” said Tajinder.

Businesses take a hit

Rozas have hit various businesses as well. Due to month-long fasting, a majority of Musilms avoid indulging in any strenuous activity. The construction and embroidery works have been adversely affected as a majority of migrant Muslims have returned to their native places. Sunil Vinayak, a fashion designer, who is celebrating holidays in Goa, said he decided to take the family out on a holiday as all his workers were on leave for a month. The businessmen are hoping that after the Eid celebrations, the work will be back on track.

1 lakh Muslims brace for Eid

• As the month-long fasting is drawing to an end, the Musilms in the city are gearing up for Eid on Monday. The festival falling after 30-day fasting is called Eid-ul– Fitr. 
• According to Maulana Ajmal Khan, Imam, Jama Masjid, Sector 20, nearly 1 lakh Muslims in the city are praying for peace and harmony.
• He said the celebrations depended on the sighting of the moon. “If the moon is sighted on Sunday night, then Eid will be celebrated on Monday. Otherwise, it will be celebrated on Tuesday," the Imam added.
• There are several other aspects linked with it. “It is also a way of expressing gratitude to the nature for offering food for sustenance. Rozas also preaches equality. These end the difference between the rich and poor. Rozas make people humble,” he said.
• According to the time-table released by the Jama Masjid, the Muslims took meals before 3.46 am in the morning and broke their fast at 7.30 pm.
• Many affluent Muslims were seen offering donations outside the Sector 20 mosque. “It is called zakat, a religious obligation or tax for those Muslim who are having the wealth to the tune of 7.5 tola of gold or 52.5 tola of silver or more.