As the holy month of Ramadhan is in progress, shopkeepers and vendors selling dates, fruits, and pickles in Srinagar markets are doing brisk business.
Dates, usually preferred to break the day-long fast are available in different varieties in Srinagar markets.
One of the shopkeepers selling quality dates said that no doubt they are doing a brisk business, but still, it is not as flourishing as it used to be. “Still we are thankful to Almighty, people are buying dates on daily basis,” he said adding that people prefer plain dates from Gujarat, but there are a lot more people who buy dates imported from Saudi Arabia.
“Ajwa, which is one of the varieties of dates is more in demand than others,” the shopkeeper said adding that people are buying other varieties as well including 'Kalmi', ‘Mabro’ 'Fard' and 'Safawi'.
Both Srinagar uptown and downtown markets are dotted with street vendors selling dates, pickles, and fruits.
“Our sales increase in this holy month as people prefer to have pickles during Sehri and Iftaar time,” a pickle seller in Habakadal said.
Despite the increase in prices of fruits, people prefer to enjoy fruits to break their fast along with dates and water.
“Consumers usually prefer bananas when it’s time to break the fast. Bananas are selling like hotcakes,” said a fruit vendor at Jawahar Nagar.
He said people across Kashmir Valley buy fruits and dates and donate them in mosques where the faithful distribute them to people, who come there ahead of the Iftaar time to end their fast.