Ramadan in Kashmir

By Al-Ahed News

Photo credit: Ubaid Mukhtar

Kashmir – The Holy month of Ramadan is being observed by Muslims across the world. And in India's Kashmir Valley, mosques have been opened after two years of being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A huge number of people are gathering for every prayer of the day at Srinagar's Hazratbal Shrine. People say they are happy to be praying in the mosques again.

In the month of Ramadan, most of the Muslims pray in the mosques five times a day. And there are special prayers also offered during the month of Ramadan.

Thousands of Muslims can be seen praying in every mosque of the valley including the Jamia Masjid and Hazratbal. And this year, the gatherings have become bigger as the mosques have been allowed to open after two years.

According to Ghulam Ahmad, a local man, ''I have no words to express my feelings, seeing so much rush at Hazratbal Shrine makes me extremely Joyous. We came to pray, and thousands of people have come to pray here. Our hearts were yearning for coming here to pray but thank God we managed to do so. There is no limit to my happiness.''

In Kashmir, there is an age-old tradition of waking people for the pre-dawn meals called Suhoor. A person called 'Sahar Khan' who gives a wakeup call by using drums and chants and moves around colonies every night all through the month of Ramadan.

In the holy month, there are various foods whose sales go up drastically. The dates are sold in Kashmir for crores of rupees during the Ramadan. There are various types of dates which are sold here, imported from various countries for the Ramadan.

The Ajwa, Mabroom, Kalmi, Sudayi, Sukhri, Amber, and Merjol are the types that are sold in the market.

People recite holy Quran on the daily basis in the mosque's and imambarghas [also known as a hussainiya which is a congregation hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies].