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What's one word that comes to your mind when you hear Ramadan? I am sure you would say a day-long fast for a month. But what do people eat in their Sehri, the pre-dawn meal, to keep their fast? We went to New Delhi's Zakir Nagar, in Okhla, near Jamia Millia Islamia to see that.
Fiery kebabs, mouth-watering rabri falooda, vibrant streets swarming with people - a feast for the senses post-midnight at Zakir Nagar. There are hundreds of food items, to choose from. I didn't know where to start from, so, I decided take the help of my friend, Kamran Ali, who's a resident of Zakir Nagar.
On Sunday morning (16 April), around 1 am, I reached Zakir Nagar, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Hundreds of people were seen on the street and the streets were beautifully decorated.
I was mesmerised by the beauty and the vibe of the market, and I couldn't resist the delicious food being served. Shahi Kheer Point was our first stop, which took Kamran down memory lane.
The delicious Kheer seemed to have awakened my taste bud, making it difficult to control my craving. From there, we tried finger-licking chicken Shawarmas at Chilli Bite and rolls at Quick Eats. The lassi from Pahalwan Ji wasn't the one I would miss.
Since Jamia Millia Islamia is close to Zakir Nagar, I could see college students enjoying their Sehri. Rahil, a student, told me, "People come for the taste and the ambience here, especially in the month of Ramadan is incredible here."
I also met a fellow Lucknowite, who compared Zakri Nagar with Lucknow.
Lucknow will always be close to my heart, but Zakir Nagar, during Sehri, seems to have overtaken my hometown.
Several people celebrated Ramadan for the first time post-Covid, so this Sehri is all the more special to them.
As a woman, I was happy to see many young girls freely walking on the streets without fear.
Food joint owners were pleased with the footfall. "We have good footfall during Ramadan. It's our first Ramadan since we recently opened, but the footfall is nice. We have a good sale. We are able to sell around 300-400 rolls daily," said Syed Farooq, owner of Chilli Bite.
Though I wanted to eat more from some famous restaurants like Lucknowi Galawati and Qureshi Kebabs, by the time I reached, sadly, my stomach was already full. But I'm happy that I got to visit many places. It was so lovely to see how Sehri was so meaningful to these people in every manner.
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