Ramadan and Durga Puga

This month is full of holidays – Ramadan started on Thursday and Durga Puga starts tomorrow or the next day. I know very little about Islam and even less about Hinduism, but a few things around Mymensingh are changing. In Ramadan the Muslims do not eat, drink, or smoke from sunrise to sunset. Government offices have special hours during Ramadan and students have a large holiday from school. The call to prayer is louder. Somehow we tend to lose power during Iftar. The men are wearing their religious clothing more. The prices of basic food are rising. I think that this happens every year, but this year it is worse because of the rising fuel cost. In North America high fuel cost means we pay more for gas, but here it means that the average person doesn’t eat. The city water that comes at 7:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. now also comes at 4:00 a.m. This is because the Muslims wake up really early and eat before sunrise. Supposedly the children run around in the streets yelling and waking everyone up. I haven’t heard anything, but it could be because I live in a Christian section of town. Everyone on my street is Christian. Everyday around 5:45 is Iftar – the time when the fast is broken. After the 5:45 prayer everything closes down and everyone eats and smokes. Patrick and I went to the market yesterday to try to rent Dvds – on a Friday during Iftar. (I was shocked that we were able to rent Dvds during Ramadan on the holiday during Iftar.) It was interesting to watch everyone, and the roads were really empty.

Hindus are a minority in Bangladesh – around 10 percent, so their celebration isn’t as impacting. Durga Puga, however, is the biggest Hindu celebration of the year. A huge banner is draped a crossed the street in Mymensingh, and I am told that somewhere near the banner a huge idol is being built. After the idol is worshipped, it will somehow end up in the river. I hope that I have a chance to see it.