Dates, watermelons flood Kashmir markets ahead of Ramadhan

Srinagar: Dates and watermelons have flooded the markets of Kashmir as the Muslims of the valley are likely to start month-long dawn-to-dusk fasts of Ramadhan from Tuesday.

Shops and handcart vendors have prominently displayed the dates and watermelons as their sales are expected to pick up with the start of Ramadhan expected from tomorrow.

The Muslims will start the fasting after sighting of crescent -“ most likely tonight. They will wake up every night for two hours before dawn to have meals and abstain from eating and drinking for the entire day. The fast is broken just after sunset, with dates and watermelons being the preferred food to break the fast with.

However, the dealers are surprised that there is not much demand for these products yet.

"Usually, people would start buying dates at least one week before the fasting month begins but this year the sales are not that good," Abdul Rashid, a wholesale supplier of dates, said.

The sale of watermelon has also been on the lower side as some doctors have warned against consuming the fruit that has been artificially ripened to meet the Ramadhan demand.

"This is not the season for watermelons. People should avoid this fruit as growth hormones and ripening agents are used indiscriminately for faster growth. These chemicals can cause cancer among humans," Dr Mudasir Ahmad said.