Friday 03 / May / 2024
The aroma of the delectable goodies wafting all over the house, the early morning walks with my family, the beautiful time spent preparing Iftar together, lavish Iftar spreads, meeting and greeting friends, the excitement during Iftar, late night shopping and the time spent contemplating the spirit of the Holy Month.
Ramadan always brings back tons of memories, especially of all my wonderful time spent in Oman — the country that I call home.
I came to Oman as a little girl and can’t recall much from the previous Ramadans’ I had back in India, my home country. Growing up in Oman has given me a much better understanding of the month, in terms of its meaning and significance.
And while I always admired the concept of having fewer working hours during Ramadan, what truly inspired me was to see changes in the lifestyle of people during the Holy Month.
Ramadan always meant trying to follow a different pattern in eating and sleeping, and certainly more prayers. It was a little difficult to understand that at first, but when you see everyone around you doing the same, you tend to understand the essence of fasting and also imbibe the spirit.
When I was fasting for the first time, I had visited a supermarket with my parents when we were done with our shopping, we bought packets of chips and chocolates as a usual habit. I was about eight-years old and fasting, but my little brother was not, as he did not reach the age. When we got into the car, he took out the large bag of potato chips and started munching on them. I unmindfully put my hand in the bag and pulled out some pieces and started eating them. It just slipped out of my mind that I was fasting. My mother soon reminded me that I was fasting, and that’s when I stopped munching and stared at her. I knew I was guilty of breaking my fast, a little too soon. My mother then asked me to eat, thinking that I was not ready for the commitment yet. I still laugh whenever I reminisce that day’s incident.
I love the Arabian traditions which relate with Ramadan — the tents, the colourful lamps called ‘Fanoos’ put up in all the hotels and restaurants, making the place look all dreamy and exquisite, and some of the other rich and beautiful customs. They just made me feel like I was in a different world.
In Oman, I learnt of another popular custom called ‘Qaranqasho’, which basically falls on the night of the 14th day of Ramadan and is a highly anticipated event, especially among the children, who get sweets and goodies by going around their neighbourhood, singing the Qaranqasho song.
I was also part of a few of these during my growing up years. Although I never really practised it, I always thought that it must be so much fun, especially in the interiors of Oman, where communities are more involved with each other than those in the city.
My fondest memories I think are of the early morning walks which we used to take right after the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and Fajr (early morning) prayers. That was very thrilling because we would drive to the Qantab beach, which back then was a large one as compared to what it is now, and watch the sunrise.
That was an everyday thing and as soon as the sun was out, we would start exploring the ruins near Qantab — it was so much fun. Wish I could re-live those golden moments.
Food exchange is also something that I learnt from Ramadan. Luckily we had two Omani families staying close to us, and every day without fail during Ramadan, we gave them our samosas, bhajias, and pizzas, and they would share some of their delights with us including luqaimat, mandazi, fatayr and other delicious items.
Late night shopping has always been the best thing about Ramadan in Oman, when malls are open until after midnight, and restaurants attract tonnes of people for suhoor (the pre-dawn meal).
Most importantly through Ramadan I learnt the significance of being together as a family and the importance of contemplation and fasting. Going to mosques for the Taraweeh (night prayers) and just that whole repetition of prayers, fasting, charity and seeing so much goodness around me, is something that can really not be expressed. I am so grateful that I grew up in a country like Oman, where goodness prevails to no end and only increases its level in Ramadan. [email protected]
