In view of the month of Ramadan starting from Thursday, members of the Muslim community in Dehradun can be seen busy preparing for this important period. Shops in the city can be seen selling the special snacks and food items like sewai which are associated with this period.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and it is believed that during this month the holy Quran was revealed. It is considered to be a month of good luck. The Muslims observe fast and involve themselves in praying and devoting more time to Allah. The fast starts at dawn and continues till sunset during which the people do not eat or drink anything and refrain from any activity which may be disrespectful towards the Almighty in any way.
In the market in and around Inamullah Building, one can see shops selling traditional delicacies like sewai, sheermaal, khajula, breads, rusks and fruits like dates and others apart from various food items which are consumed as “Barkati Khana” before sunrise during the month of Ramadan. Khan Manzoor Ahmed Khan, a shopkeeper near Inamullah Building selling the traditional eatables is eagerly waiting for this important period to start. He has stocked his shop with all the eatables used as barkati khana and the sales are going good with many people coming to buy the items.
He himself is prepared for religious observances during this period. The price of sewai in the market is between Rs 80 - 100 a kg , sheermaal is selling for Rs 20 a piece, feni for Rs 100-120 a kg whereas Banarsi sewai is being sold for Rs 320 per kg. The market near Inamullah Building remains busy throughout the month of Ramadan. When asked about the effects of the recent disaster on the proceedings and sales, Samad Khan, who runs a sewai stall near the building said, “So far there is nothing noticeable in the activities due to the disaster. We see the same number of people coming to buy the things as in past years.”