Hottest and longest Muslim holy month of Ramadan this year in India

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Hyderabad: Ramadan, the month of fasting, will start here from Sunday and the Muslim community was geared up to welcome the holy month with piety and equanimity.

While even in the normal times the day-long abstinence from food and water is a challenging exercise this year it will be even more testing as Ramadan is starting at the peak of summer season.

Hyderabad and Telangana has been in the grip of an intense heatwave for several days and the temperature has crossed 45 degrees at many places including Adilabad, Nizamabad and Nalgonda.

The weather office has warned that the scorching summer heat will continue for a few more days. The situation was likely to improve only around June 8 when the monsoon is likely to reach Telangana.

As the days are longer during summer, the duration of fasting will also be very long. The first fast on Sunday will be 14 hours and 48 minutes long as the time of suhoor (early morning meal) will end at 4.11am and iftar or breaking fast will be at 6.59pm.

Meanwhile, thousands of mosques across the state were spruced up for the holy month which witnesses a rush of worshippers. In Hyderabad, the historic Mecca Masjid was also decked up with a fresh coat of paint and special arrangements made for Taraweeh or the night prayers.

Ramadan is likely to conclude on June 26 and Eid Al Fitr will be observed the next day.

Mohammad Siddique, Correspondent