rituals Archives

An “Immoral” Muslim’s Guide to Faking Roza

I’m a non-believing Muslim and people like me have become part of a subculture, where secrets are guarded with greater ferocity than the Illuminati. We bunk namaaz, and during Ramzan we fake-fast: the first major acts of rebellion for Muslim teens.

Godot June 25, 2016

POV

My Name is Khan and I Don’t Fast! Can Non-Muslims Please Calm Down

Each time I open my dabba at lunch hour during Ramzan, the non-Muslim people at work gasp and ask, “You aren’t fasting?” Food defines their understanding of Islam and anyone in violation of that tenet threatens their understanding of the entire faith.

Karima Khan June 1, 2016

Culture

Namaz, Iftar, and Badminton: The Little Rituals of the Ramzan of My Childhood

In most other places, people welcome Ramzan by hanging lanterns on their windows or lighting up the streets. But in Mumbai’s Byculla, children welcome the holy month by fishing for a battered old pair of badminton racquet and as many shuttlecocks as they can lay their hands on.

Tasneem Pocketwala May 24, 2016

Gender

An Equal Marriage: How Woke Young Couples Are Dissolving Sexist Wedding Rituals

Rituals and ceremonies are just one way Indian weddings treat women as inferior to men. Whether it is refusing the “kanyadaan” ceremony, standing up to the tradition of brides touching their husbands’ feet, or even splitting the cost of the wedding equally, some Indian couples have found a way to subvert tradition.

Hitesha Phukan April 11, 2016

Culture

Tam Brahm Weddings: The Holy Union of Boredom and Bananas

We live in a time when the nation has joyfully adopted Karan Johar’s vision of the ultimate shaadi. But when everyone else has boarded the party bus, the Tam Brahm prefers endless agarbatti-fuelled ceremonies, Bharatnatyam, and a lunch of rice and sambar.

Kahini Iyer March 24, 2016