Kathmandu’s Ramadan festivities hidden in plain sight

The Muslim community, be it locals or diasporic Indians, gathers to offer prayers and communally break their fast by consuming a special meal called Iftar.

Shah Handicraft is nestled among the charcuterie board of shops that is Thamel. Upon entering, spools of thread and jars of buttons immediately meet the eye. What is not visible right off the bat, is the musallah (Muslim prayer hall) curated atop the store. I was guided towards the musallah by the store owner’s brother-in-law, Muhammad Fakhrul Huda, a bearded, topi-clad man with a gentle demeanor. We climbed up three flights of concrete stairs until we reached the entrance of the musallah, a small room with teal walls and a velvety sea-green carpet. We took our shoes off outside and headed in. Large windows illuminated the space, lending legibility to the Ramadan calendars on the walls alongside copies of English, Hindi, and Nepali translations of the Quran. During the month of Ramadan , Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The Muslim community, be it locals from Nepal or diasporic Indians, gathers at the musallah to offer prayers and communally break their fast by consuming a special meal called Iftar .