The night is awake

Ramzan is a month of ironies. It’s when Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk. It’s also when women at homes prepare elaborate feasts for iftaar — the meal with which the fast is broken. A typical iftaar spread,in north India,has pakodas,fruit chaats,chickpeas,dates and biryani. Restaurants in Muslim-dominated areas deck up with decorative lights in the month and do brisk business — attracting people of all faiths to enjoy the food and the festive fervour. A walk down Matia Mahal in Delhi,or Aminabad in Lucknow,or Muhammad Ali Road in Mumbai in Ramzan is a foodie’s and a shutterbug’s delight,as lights,food and the sheer festive mood abound. The month is as spiritual as it is celebratory. As Muslims become more religious this season,and exercise self-restraint not just when it comes to food,but also when it comes to social behaviour,they also indulge in food (at the end of the day) and in shopping for Eid,the festival with which Ramzan culminates.

One of the best experiences one can get of Ramzan is at the majestic Jama Masjid in Delhi. Specially lit up in the season,its courtyard is like a fair ground — with families forming circles to have iftaar. The mosque has the bustling food street,Matia Mahal,to one side,where people throng after the evening prayers to eat,or simply walk and enjoy.