Over 150 Hindu inmates keep Roza with 2,300 Muslims at Tihar

New Delhi: Setting an example of rare communal harmony, more than 150 Hindu inmates of Tihar Jail here are keeping roza, the dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramzan, along with over 2,300 Muslim inmates.

The holy month of Ramazan commenced on June 29 this year. Tihar Jail authorities said the Hindu inmates started keeping Rozas along with the Muslim inmates from the very first day and have said they will continue the month-long fasting to its completion. "The inmates have symbolised the strong bond of unity among them which is appreciable. Jail authorities have made all the arrangements so that those observing Ramzan do not face any difficulty," Tihar jail PRO Sunil Gupta said. Special arrangements have been made for the inmates to perform prayers and enjoy their pre-dawn `sehri` meal and evening meals known as `iftars`. "Food items like seasonal fruits, sweets like `Jalebi`, dry fruits, and various other snacks are being made available to them for both `Sehari` and `Iftar`," he said. Gupta said that the day-long `roza` ends with `iftar` in their respective wards of the jail following which they offer Namaz outside their cells. Over 70 women inmates are also a part of the religious practice, he added. Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims, who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset. Muslims wake up early morning for the pre-dawn `sehri` meal renouncing food and water during the day before breaking their fasts in the evening. The evening meals are known as `iftars`. The month-long fasting will culminate in the Id-ul-Fitr celebrations next month. As Islam follows a lunar calendar, the holy month begins every year about 11 days earlier and its commencement is traditionally determined by the appearance of the new moon.