Tasty foodstuffs for the fasting season

After various stories about a variety of issues, one day I had gone to eat kebab’s at the chowk area of Bhopal during the month of Ramadan (Islamic month of fasting) and what a treat I had to myself. Apart from the kebab I had a tummy fill fenny (not the Goan fenny), shreemals and many more. So go on and read it as to what makes these road side food stalls in the chowk area of Bhopal to tick and click at the same time. This piece appeared in the Hindustan Times- Bhopal edition on November 6, 2002.

The entire walled city is abuzz with activity with people busy with preparing delicious meals which Muslims have after breaking their daylong fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
Each year, the 100-odd bakeries all over the Old City get busy making the ‘shreemals’, “kazla’ and of course the famous ‘fenny’ preferred for the Sheri, the pre dawn light meal.
What is surprising is that all the items are very simple in ingredients and have the same base (maida). These are done up with three different patterns. A yellow color is added to some of them to make them attractive for customers.
Mohammed Razi, who runs a roadside shop near Moti Masjid, claims he is the only one who makes the Delhi and Lucknow’s famous ‘kazlas’ which are ‘namkeen’ in taste and heavier that the other two traditional fast-breakers.
For Anwar Bahi’s ‘fenny’ shop, also near Moti Masjid, it is business time. He uses two sacks of maida every day with 10 tins of Dalda with it and admits he does not compromise on the quality of ‘fenny’ which is very popular all over Bhopal.

And as for the ‘shreemals’ the one famous for making them is Mohammed Saeed’s bakery on the MLB College road. Saeed says with a smile that stall owners from as far as the bus stand on the Hamidia Road and even further come to him for the soft, fluffy breads during this holy month.
Salim Bahi, who owns a bakery in Ibrahimpura, says more than 500 to 600 sacks of ‘maida’ are consumed every day all over the City during the month of Ramadan and adds this business, is on a non-profit basis.
Yusuf Khan, another stall owner in Ibrahimpura, says he does a business of about Rs 2000 to Rs 2500 a day after expenses and says his shop sells ‘fenny’ throughout the year. At his shop, the old rate of Rs 2 a fenny prevails. Business or no business, these small 100-odd bakeries will be busy for the next month ensuring empty tummies get their fill after sunset.

Moti Masjid gets back its view

This was a story by chance as I was roaming the streets of Bhopal to get some offbeat and stand alone pictures that I noticed the workers of the BMC clearing the front view of the Historic Moti Masjid. After a few discussion with the workers, went back to the office only to be told by my Editor to file a small piece on what happened there at the spot.

The front (eastern) entrance of the historic Moti Masji and its park, was virtually closed for general public from the past about two decades, were finally reopened on January 8th, 2001, after the removal of a nursery in the mosque’s park.
According to Syed Aftab-uddin alias Tabbu Miyan, the nursery run by one Munne Miyan in the park of the mosque had partially blocked the mosque’s view and totally prevented the people’s entrance.
The land belonging to Shahi Auqaf had been leased to Munne Miyan who established a nursery and paid Rs 30 per day to the Auqaf.
Because the nursery occupied the whole park, the Muslims were forced to offer prayers on roads on both sides of the mosque on the occasion of Eids.
This will not happen on the coming Eid thanks to the BMC’s effort.
The BMC, on the direction of the Chief Minister Digvijay Singh (according to the residents) removed above 100 truckloads of plants and trees from the nursery to give back the view of the magnificent building to the general public.
Moti Masjid was constructed by Bhopal’s second ruler Sikander Jahan Begum around 1850. it is built of red stone and marble and a fine piece of Islamic architecture.