New Delhi: Seven-year-old Noor is restless as her mother talks on a mobile phone.
In front of the family, the Iftar meal is ready — dates, chopped fruits, pakoras and pieces of fried chicken.
Noor has the liberty to eat at any time, since she has yet to start observing fasts, but she likes to behave like an adult and will only indulge when her elder siblings do.
Noor’s family is just one of the many that turn up at Jama Masjid for Iftar each evening.
While men turn out in crisp white salwar-kameez, women and children are at their colourful best.
Children run helter-skelter playing hide-and-seek in the massive courtyard, until it’s time for Iftar and the women have laid out the snacks in the open.
During the holy month of Ramadan, the place is abuzz with followers breaking their fast together. As the sun sets, the mosque comes to life.
Resembling a picnic spot, it is full of families and friends sitting in groups around plates of foods.
“It has been a family tradition for many decades,” says 65-year-old Naushad Ali, who runs a small restaurant opposite the Jama Masjid. He is sauntering around watching others clamouring to get inside the mosque carryings bags full of tasty treats.
The signal to eat comes with two cannon-fire sounds, followed by an intense silence, as the devout drink water and have food after fasting for more than 12 hours. In a matter of minutes, the feast is over and the men head for the evening prayers.
Despite the sweltering heat, Old Delhi buzzes with activity and the festive spirit is irresistible for people belonging to other communities as well.
Ramadan brings out the best in Old Delhi, including in the 300-year-old bylanes of Chandni Chowk, where food stalls on every nook and corner sell mouth-watering food that has become synonymous with the area.
The aroma rising from different corners in the Matia Mahal market can be very testing for anyone visiting the place for the first time.
Lucknow resident Aftab, who is in the city for a few days regarding a business proposal said, ”I am amazed at the fervour with which the festivities go on endlessly in the vicinity of Chandni Chowk.
Biryani, seekh kebabs, fried chicken and nihari compete with desserts such as shahi tukda, malpuas and phirni at places selling authentic Awadhi and Mughlai cuisine.
Though certain foods are available all year round, Ramadan is the time when many unusual breads and dishes like khajla (small crisp pancakes) and coiled strands of vermicelli are in demand.
“The easily digested vermicelli and khajla are soaked in sweetened milk and is an integral part of almost every Muslim household in the city. It’s a favourite also because we increase milk intake, as it provides energy,” Zahira says while stocking up at the Ballimaran market.
The number of customers increases substantially during Ramadan, as people from all over the city throng to the place to buy local food stuff.
With barely a few days left for Eid, shoppers all over the city are thronging the markets in full force. But nothing can match the grandeur of Chandni Chowk when it comes to the biggest Muslim festival.
A sense of enthusiasm prevails, especially among women, young girls and children. The twinkling lights and flashy neon signs are as if giving stiff competition to the crowds in their colourful fineries. People continue to trudge in well past midnight shopping for garments, toys, cosmetics, jewellery and foodstuff.
An elderly shopkeeper, Atmaram Agrawal, selling ready-made garments, though visibly tired, is quite enthusiastic. He says, “Every year, during Ramadan and Eid, people prefer to shop in the night. So, we keep our shop open 24 hours and work in shifts. In fact, many of our customers have been coming to us for generations. We eagerly wait for this festival every year, as this is the time to give in attractive discounts and also rake in good profits.”
Amir Khan, a computer engineer is accompanied by his newly wed wife.
Khan says, “While I have been a regular visitor to Chandni Chowk since childhood, for my wife, the entire experience is new and awesome. For the past few days, we have been frequenting the markets and have bought loads of goodies. After all, it’s not just a month of fasting and feasting, but also of shopping and extravagance.”
