Hyderabad: Ramzan festive spirit pervades city

Hyderabad: Religious zeal and sheer joy was witnessed amongst all the Muslims in the city as the holy month of Ramzan commenced on Friday. Hustle-bustle was back in all the mosques in the city, specially the Mecca Masjid at the community thronged mosques to focus more on religious observances.

On the first day, the excitement of the first roza (fasting) was in the air among Muslims, starting from seher (predawn meal), to iftar (dusk) they were seen filled with holy spirit, pomp and gaiety. Like every year, this year too, the hustle-bustle in mosques has increased with the advent of Ramzan, says Hamad Bin Abdullah.

Adequate arrangements were made by the various civic departments and were also instructed to keep the place tidy and ensure an adequate supply of power and water during the holy month to meet the requirements of the increased number of Muslims. Special prayers were also offered for the prosperity and integrity of the country and the well-being of the people. As the sirens blared announcing the sighting of the moon Thursday night, Muslims thronged mosques for special prayers till midnight. The biggest gathering was seen in the historic Mecca Masjid near Charminar for special prayer 'Taraweeh'. It has been observed that during Taraweeh prayers, Mecca Masjid was almost full of Mussallies as they were praying till the parking space. The rush was huge as compared to the recent years. Taraweeh prayers were conducted under the imamath of Maulana Rizwan Qureshi.

"I thank the Almighty for blessing us with another Ramzan. It's a great feeling to offer prayers in congregation," said Mohammed Muslehuddin, a sexagenarian, at Mecca Masjid.

Mosques in the city were spruced up and illuminated and big gatherings were also witnessed in historic mosques like Shahi Mosque in the public garden, Darulshifa mosque, Azizia Masjid in Mehdipatnam among others.

"This year, the Ramzan falls in March and with the increasing temperature, special arrangement have been put in place in the in the mosques. In iftar, the majority of the mosques are arranging cold drinks and distributing it among the devout," said Tariq Omer.

Though there was scorching sun on Friday, hectic activity was seen in the markets as people were seen rushing to purchase essentials before iftar. Rush was also witnessed at street food stalls who sold fast food, and Ramzan special dahi-vada and lip-smacking dishes including the season's favourite 'Haleem'.

A large number of citizens observed Sehri at homes while a huge influx of people were also seen in restaurants. Following the year old tradition, during Ramzan several hotels, restaurants, shops, and markets stay open till late-night hours.

"We are making every effort to give the worshippers a conducive environment to offer their prayers at the mosque with serenity and sanctity.

Special arrangements were also made for Sehri and iftar in mosques," said a management in Badi Masjid in Mallepally.

During the month, Muslims not only observe fast but are also seen performing other religious responsibilities including giving charitable donations (Zakat) which is one of the five pillars of Islam.