MANGALURU: While various outlets of Iftar food are set up in public spaces for breaking fast during the holy month of Ramzan, and the public to participate in the ceremony, one outlet goes a bit further to turn the event into a public service.
At the ‘Free Ifthar Point’ at Jeppinamogaru on Mangaluru-Kasaragod highway, volunteers serve cut fruits, dates, samosas and juice to about 100 people on an average. The point was started on Friday and is the brainchild of Beary musician Zulfikar Qasim. Zulfikar says it all started when he noticed such Iftar stalls were located mostly in mosques here and abroad, however women who were outside their houses at the time could not attend it when breaking their fast. Zulfikar also observed that the stretch where the outlet is located had a history of accidents particularly during Ramzan as people oversped on their way back home in the evening to break the fast. “Many patients too take this route to Kerala,” he said.
The outlet receives tremendous support from locals and satiates many passersbys too. If the stall runs short of stock, the food shop close by helps with the supplies, said a supporter of the stall, Saif Sulthan from Hope Foundation.The stall serves food following the local culture of breaking the fast.