Dastarkhwan for shoppers
During the holy month of Ramzan, Lucknow is soaked in the calmness of fasting rituals. Bustling markets are setting the tone for Eid. Braving hostile sun and under the fast, rozedaars are busy with Eid shopping. Shop owners of Aminabad, one of the main markets of the city, spread out a ‘dastarkhwan’ daily to facilitate iftar for rozedaars to ensure a hassle-free shopping. At a time, there are arrangements for about 50 people to break their fast at iftar in the middle of the market. For many it is a custom, continuing for ages. The food is prepared at the houses of the shopkeepers and distributed free of cost as a noble gesture for rozedaars.
Apps to help Rozedars
The days to get panic to know the time of namaz, sehri or iftar are over. All one needs is to have a smart phone as latest mobile apps have turned rozedaars tech-savvy during the Ramzan. Over a thousand such apps are coming handy in Lucknow to guide the faithfuls about the rituals during the holy month. ‘Ramadan 2018’ is said to be the most preferred one. The mobile application developed by Muslim Pro Limited, claims to be the most accurate prayer time and azan application. Besides, it also assists rozedars get access to Quran in Arabic script, phonetics and translations. The app provides information about restaurants known for serving halal meat.
Feeders to make Metro a hit
Deployment of e-rickshaws as feeders for Metro trains has boosted the footfall of passengers steeply in the recent past. While earlier, 7,000-8,000 passengers took the Metro every day, now, the number is now 10,000-11,000 daily. Buoyed by the changing scenario, LMRC feels that once operations across 23-km long corridor begin in 2019, the number of daily commuters will be as high as 3 lakh. E-rickshaws will ferry Metro passengers from their homes to the stations. A Pune- based company has been roped in and it has began operation on pilot basis across eight Metro stations on the 8.5km-long priority section from Charbagh to Transportnagar through 19 e-rickshaws.
A bouquet of talent
Lucknow recently received an exquisite bouquet of talent from Srinagar, which created buzz for itself at the three-day India Skills Regional Competition-2018 (Northern chapter). Coming all the way from Srinagar to Lucknow in the holy month of Ramzan, Srinagar participants stood out in the crowd. It’s all about giving wings to dreams and following them with passion was the common thought. Over 200 contestants from J&K, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Chandigarh participated in the competition across 24 trades/ categories. The youngsters were jostling to showcase their prowess in their area of interest.
Namita Bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@ newindianexpress