Ramlila and Ramzan go side by side

NEW DELHI: Makhanas alongside pheni, chaat with shaami kebabs, Old Delhi is both fasting and feasting these days. With navratras and ramlilas already underway, and ramzan following in from October 6, the place is abuzz with activity. With shoppers, devotees and residents thronging the serpentine bylanes, Old Delhi has transformed into a veritable mela.
Add to that the mystical coincidence of both Hindu and Muslim festivals running parallel, and it's celebration time indeed! Jama Masjid became the hub of activities, with crowds eagerly trying to spot the moon.
Just as news of moon sighting filtered and the bursting crackers officially marked the beginning of holy month of Ramzan, a flurry of excitement ran through nearby Matia Mahal market. Amidst enthusiastic cries of dikh gaya, shopkeepers brought out their stock of sewiyan, khajla and pind khajoor.
"Yeh sihri ke liye hai," said a shopkeeper, trying to explain the intricacies of keeping roza catching up with the latest on the ramlila being broadcast on the local cable channel, simultaneously. Celebrations are a trifle staid in the Chandni Chowk area.
Very similar to the Jama Masjid area, there's hardly an inch of space to walk with masses mobbing the place to have a dekko at the ramlilas going on. Said Kamal, a resident of Najafgarh: "I'm camping with my relative here for the next 10 days. I want to see the ramlila."
With two big ramlilas taking place in the area, residents are also busy comparing notes on which actors are better. Said Vijendra Gupta, a businessman: "The Parade Ground ramlila is the best, they have been doing it for years now." The combined festive season has made traders a very happy lot.
Said a cloth merchant: "This is when I notch my highest sales. With Dussehra, Diwali and Id falling around the same time, business is sure to boom." Another set of businessmen who are celebrating are stockists of fire crackers.
"Festivities have just begun. We are looking forward to all the three major festivals lined up ahead. Inshallah, we'll do great business," said a wholesale dealer of fire crackers.