Hoteliers sell pre-dawn meals at a discount for fasting Muslims

Hyderabad: With the intention of getting rewarded from almighty in the month of Ramzan, some hoteliers are selling Sehri meals at discounted price during wee hours in parts of Old City.

With police providing special permission for hoteliers to sell hot meals during sehri - the pre-dawn meal taken by the fasting Muslims - some of the hoteliers decided to serve the rozedars at a discounted price. Most of the hotel owners find Ramzan as an opportunity to earn fast money by selling haleem and other snacks, however, hotels like Best food Point in Purani Haveli serves the meals for Rs 40, which otherwise was sold at Rs 60.

The targeted customers are mostly businessmen and non-natives who find it difficult to cook in the early morning hours after a tiresome day. “People come here from different districts and other states who also observe fasting. This trend started several years back with intention to earn sawab (reward from Allah) and was being continued as affordable prices make them avail our services regularly. With the thought that even the poor Muslims observe fasting we have decided to reduce the price during this month,” said Alamdar Hussain, owner of Best Fast Food Point in Purani Haveli area.

The hotelier noted that this trend would continue only during Ramzan. This according to Alamdar, was a collective decision by the hoteliers and restaurateurs near Purani Haveli area, as Hyderabad remains the preferred destination for small businessmen who sell their products and some of them camp along with their families where cooking could be impossible.

Some other beneficiaries of this phenomenon are late night shoppers who may not afford high priced sehri meals at high profile hotels. Amongst other hotels which sell meals at discounted price are Hotel Sohel, Hotel Iqbal and some others situated in Old City. To accommodate more people during the wee hours, roads are also blocked with the coordination of local police, for more space as almost everyone munch through almost at the same time.

Feroz ali, a businessman who is on a visit from other district, termed this to be a best concept being adopted by the hoteliers. “This affordable sehri meals make us get habituated to the delicious food which would be missed for long time after we return back to our towns,” said Feroz Ali.

Police also make elaborate bandobast arrangements for smooth flow of traffic in the area, so that the place does not get disturbed by traffic and rozedars should not suffer.

BY Syed Mujtaba Hussain Abidi