Ramzan preparations begin among the devout
With the holy month of Ramzan just a fortnight away, Muslim families in the city are preparing for it in the usual way by giving their homes a lick of paint or white-wash, buying new furniture etc. Shops across the city, especially in the old city are getting ready for the preRamzan shopping rush with discounted prices and promotions.
A mind boggling range of rugs from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Belgium, Malaysia and India are on display at the month-long international exhibition of prayer rugs that began here on Sunday. It was inaugurated by Hassan Farooqi, the president of the Sunni Daawate Islami, at the Mohammed Cap Mart in Pathergatti, Hyderabad.
Imported velvet rugs cost between `90 to `1,200 while Indian cotton carpets come as cheap as `85 to `200 and the plastic ones cost just `50 per square foot.
The cost of a roll of imported rug for congregational prayer is priced between `16,000 and `45,000, says Mohammed Ilyas Bukhari, managing director, Mohammed Cap Mart. Ramzan shopping is essentially about clothes, caps, surma, dry fruits and other essentials, but prayer rugs have a special significance.
“Once Ramzan comes, the demand for prayer rugs goes up. Many people from nearby districts come here to shop. Special arrangements have been made for the Shabe-eBarat,” Mr Bukhari says.
His shop, which has been in business for the last 107 years, has devoted the entire fourth floor for the prayer rug exhibition.