A.R Bhat
From human alarm clocks to food festivals and night prayers, the holy month is an
important time for Kashmiris. At dawn, as the valley gets shrouded in darkness, its
inhabitants were fast asleep, and the sound of drums broke the silence and a voice rang
out in the air: "Waqt e Sahar!" (This is location time). These are the Sehar Khans – human
alarm clocks for the inhabitants of Kashmir who roam the streets during the day, playing
their drums, reminding the Muslims in the valley to wake up early in the morning, or to look
after themselves during the fasting month of Seher, the holy month of Ramadan.Ramadan
begins with the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and the crescent moon in the
valley. Sama, or fasting, is one of the five pillars of Islam and is an integral part of Ramadan
around the world. Muslims believe that the fruit of every good deed is multiplied during this
month, so Ramadan is also a time of prayer, generosity, reflection and abstinence from bad
thoughts and deeds
Prayers, donations and food for the month of Ramadan are characteristics of the Muslim
majority valley. The streets lit up with festive colours and the mosques echoed with prayers.
After a pre-prepared meal, the air is filled for prayers and hundreds of people fill the
mosques and shrines, looking at the landscape of the valley.Again, this is common
business for the working population – unless lunch time becomes prayer time in the
afternoon. If anyone disturbs the peace at work, everyone protests: “This is Ramadan. Let's
calm down. In fact, "this is Ramadan" is a common practice in the valley – "Is this Ramadan
and are you making us wait?" Or "How can you overcharge during Ramadan?" Or "I do not
like to fight, it's Ramadan.
For fasting Kashmiris, Iftar – an evening break from Ramadan fasting – is an opportunity to
dine on local delicacies such as babribiol trash (a drink made with basil seeds), firin (made
with semolina and milk), Qatar (a drink from Tragakant), dishes made with custard, fruit
juices, dates and mutton and chicken. To set the table for Iftar, Kashmiris line up in the
afternoon outside the kandur shops that make local breads. Kandur takes special orders –
so visitors can get customized breads made with extra ghee, poppy seeds and sesame
seeds. Street food vendors, in their absence during the day, come to the evening markets
to provide food and water for passers-by and are noisy when people try to go home to
break their fast with family or friends. Those in transit during Iftar can be assured that fellow
travellers or passer-by give them dates or fruits so that they can symbolically break their
fast.
Most mosques and shrines also hold chadors and have an inviting iftar dinner – usually with
a plate of fruit, dates and a drink. The Ramadan Food Festival at Srinagar continues till
night. Organized by Loud betel, the festival was launched by the Ministry of Culture to
revive nightlife in Kashmir and is in the business of popular delicacies from Iftar to
Sehar.During Ramadan, Muslims offer five daily prayers. The last prayer of the night is
called Isha. The Grand Mosque or Jama Masjid in the city of Srinagar sees crowds of
visitors, especially on Akhiri Zuma, the last Friday of Ramadan, when people from all over
the city come here to offer prayers. Hazratbal Dargah, located on the banks of Dal Lake, is
believed to be the relics of the Prophet Muhammad.
As charity is an integral part of this month, beggars often come to the houses in the valley
to beg. Two types of charity, Zakat and Sadaqah, are obligatory for all Muslims. Zakat, the
cornerstone of Islam, is a fixed percentage of the total money that a person owes to the
poor, a charitable organization.
During the last 10 days of the holy month, Shab-e-Qadr, which is held on odd-numbered
nights (according to the Ramadan calendar), peaks in the valley. Mosques are lit with lights
and filled with visitors for night prayers. It is believed that the first verses of the Holy Quran
were revealed to the Prophet tonight. These days, Shab-e-Qadr usually takes place on the
27 th night of Ramadan. The screen for this moment is Eid-ul-Fitr.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Daily Gadyal
