City gives festive welcome to Ramzan

LUCKNOW: As the holy month of Ramzan began, the city wore a festive look on Chaand Raat (night of the new moon) with markets in Nazirabad, Aminabad Maulviganj, Chowk, Nakhas decked up beautifully. The overcrowded markets witnessed hectic activities.
Against a background of lights and firecrackers, the Nazirabad street adopt a unique charm as men come out of the masjids after maghrib (evening) prayers to exchange Ramzan greetings.
Women got busy buying dates, chips, lachchhe, seasonal fruits and other food items for sehri (the pre-dawn meal) and iftaar (breaking of fast at sunset), while men went in for religious books, copies of Holy Quran, prayer mats, etc.
Spotted enjoying shopping with her family, Parveen Haider told TOI, “I had heard a lot about the chaand raat of Lucknow, so this time I came down from Jaunpur especially to experience the beautiful night.”
Chaand raat falling on Thursday added more flavour to the festive spirit. The popular Jumeraat bazar remained open till late night and shopkeepers did brisk business.
All bylanes of Aminabad were packed with burqa-clad women and men in traditional kurta-pajama.
Tauseef Qadri, spotted buying musallah (prayer mat) and tasbeeh (rosary) at a shop in Maulviganj said, “As Ramzan is the holy month for spiritual purification, intense prayers, fasting and feasting and I have pledged not to miss a single roza and offer all five times namaz daily.”
Similar was the scene in Chowk and Nakhas markets where people were seen on streets till late night enjoying sumptuous non-vegetarian delicacies most popular being the traditionally cooked nihari-kulche and the melt-in-the-mouth Tunde kebabs. After sighting the moon, resident of New Hyderabad Faraz Khan stepped out his house with friends to enjoy the night life of the city.
“The appetising fragrance of food in the Old City areas of Lucknow is actually what adds to the festive mood,” said the 20-year-old.