Ramadan shopping reaches feverish pitch as Eid nears

Mangalore, August 27: A report in the CNN-IBN website about Hyderabad reveals that to facilitate shopping on the eve of Ramadan, city police had blocked the road from Madina to Charminar till September 1.

The crowd, though not as heavy as found in Hyderabad, has its presence felt in the city of Mangalore too. As you walk in any part of the city you will come across enthusiastic and tired faces walking across hurriedly, eager to buy the new set of clothes for Eid. Burkha-clad women, whose numbers increase steadily from the first day of Ramadan to the last; brave the sun and the rains, moving from shop to shop, probing for clothes that would make them look best on the day of the feast. And men are not left far behind too.

Ramadan is the month when Muslims fast from morning (Subah) till evening (Magrib) in hope of self-purification and restraint. The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root word for parched thirst and sun-baked ground. It is expressive of the hunger and thirst felt by those who spend the month in fasting. As opposed to other holidays, when people often indulge, Ramadan is by nature a time of sacrifice. The annual fast of Ramadan is considered one of the five "pillars" of Islam.

Shopping is another colourful aspect of this festival. Over the years even businessmen have understood the “significance” of this festival from a business perspective. People will be constantly educated to the offers and discounts given especially in the month of Ramadan. There is great encouragement from everyone to buy.

Shirts, pants, skullcaps, shoes, and a long list of women's wear along with a long list of essential and fashionable clothes line up in cloth stores, which draw the crowds in their hundreds and thousands. Even small towns across the district do brisk business during this festive season.

It would not be fair if we restricted the buying behavior in Ramadan to clothes alone. Fruits and fried food enjoy a great market during the month of Ramadan. Kareem, a fruit vendor, visibly tired due to the intense sun and fasting, happily talks about the good business he is having in the month of Ramadan. “Everyone buys fruits to break the fast. If you look around there are more than a 100 vendors just selling fruits. This is the month when we get the best business”, he says. Even though everyone looks tired due to the hectic selling and buying, there is a sense of happiness all over.

Happiness is in the face of people selling fried dishes too. Cutlets, samosas, rolls and other dishes are in great demand. Samosa has become an integral part of the menu of breaking the fast in many homes, says one samosa vendor. He goes on shouting three samosa's for ten rupees, three samosa's for ten rupees….

The city of Mangalore has a lingering sense of joy and cheerfulness during the month of Ramadan. Despite the hurry-burry there are unmistaken signs of anticipation of better days to come in every one of their faces.