Date, ‘itr’ sales up as Ramzan starts today

PATNA: Muslims in the city are busy making preparations for Ramzan, a holy month in which they observe fast from dawn to dusk. Heads of several mosques announced on Monday that Ramzan would begin from Tuesday.

Several makeshift stalls, selling ‘khajur’, ‘itr’, ‘sewai’ and ‘lachha’, have been installed in areas like Raja Bazar, Sabzibagh, Phulwasharif and Patna City.

On the eve of the monthlong Ramzan, people could be seen buying dates, fruits and thick, flat bread pieces called ‘bakarkhani’ for their early morning (‘sehri’) and evening meals (‘iftar’).

Mahendru resident Naved Hussain prefers eating ‘bakarkhani’ with milk during ‘sehri’. He told this newspaper, “During Ramzan, I observe fast, recite the Quran and pray to Allah for the well being of my family.”

Shopkeepers are busy selling a variety of dates whose price ranges from Rs 120 to Rs 800 per kg.

Mohd Shafi Khan, who runs a shop on Ashok Rajpath, imports high-quality dates from Saudi Arabia. “Many devotees break their fast by eating dates during ‘iftar’. Some popular brands like Crown, Barari, Ajua, Rehan, Salam and Kemya are always in demand and are available anywhere between Rs 150 and Rs 600,” Khan said.

A large number of customers visit Raju Khan’s Sabzibagh shop where he sells different varieties of ‘sewai’ and ‘lachha’. They are available in the range of Rs 60 and Rs 350.

Bakery shop owner Mohd Riza-ul said, “We have ‘bakarkhani’ and ‘naan’. We also prepare special breads with dry fruits.”