Photos: Ramadan Evenings In Old Delhi Looks Colourful And Delicious Than The Usual

Yesterday night was an expected Chand Raat (the last night of the holy month Ramadan) in Old Delhi. The evening felt different amid the distinct aroma of grilled chicken tikkas, mouthwatering kababs, platters of biryani, and nali-nahari. The usual hustle and bustle of people getting a variety of pakodas and chaat packed for iftar (fast-breaking) and selecting several different shapes of sevai, dryfruits and sheermaal for the preparation of ‘Sheerkhurma’ and ‘Kimami Sevai’  look more savory than the usual days.

The usual hustle and bustle of people getting a variety of pakodas and chaat packed for iftar (fast-breaking) and selecting several different shapes of sevai, dryfruits and sheermaal for the preparation of ‘Sheerkhurma’ and ‘Kimami Sevai’  look more savory than the usual days.

Different colors of milkshakes and soul-touching chilled rohafza is sufficient to chill the entire day’s heat. Various flavours of sweets including faluda and garmagaram Jalebis catches everyone’s eye at the eateries. The presence of Kareems, Al Jawahar, Gumbad café, Nazeer, and Al-Zahra add more delicacies to try on.

Radiance on streets decorated with colorful lights, rainbow-colored streamers, and electric panels reflecting ‘Eid Mubarak’ is a wow moment for visitors who want to experience the festive vibes in Delhi.

The high-rising white gumbads (dome) of Jama Masjid standing in between adds more grace to the evenings. One can not stop waiting for the moment when the lights of the white domes make the scene more heavenly.

The inside view of Jama Masid, Old Delhi, is full of peace and joy together. The entire mosque courtyard is filled with families waiting to break their fast is a sightseeing moment. Men and women spreading chadars to decorate dastarkhan inside the masjid complex, playful voices of children, and people making last-minute prayers before breaking the fast at the sound of azan (religious call).

This view blurs all the distinctions between the community as people as everyone who sits there is equal. After breaking the fast people again standing up for the next prayers shows the resilience of those who fast for the entire day and again stand up to bow down in unison.

The atmosphere of excitement becomes ever more packed with people buying new clothes for Eid from ‘Meena Bazar’. Here the streets are filled with screams from vendors to attract customers, women buying colorful chudis (bangles), children choosing clothes of their choice and men trying on size Kurtas and skull caps to wear on the day of Eid to brighten the market.