Ramadhan fair brightens fasting month
Ramadhan fair brightens fasting month
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan
A Ramadhan fair to enliven the Muslim fasting month -- the first ever in Medan, capital of North Sumatra -- was officially opened by Medan Mayor Abdillah on Sunday, Oct. 17. The event started over the weekend and will end on Nov. 11.
Thousands of people of all ages in Medan thronged the fair arena on Jl. Mesjid Raya before dusk for some food to break the fast while watching a variety of entertainment and contests.
Strategically situated between Sri Deli Park and Al-Mashum Grand Mosque, the oldest mosque in Medan and legacy of Sultan Deli, Ramadhan Fair is easily reached by nearly all forms of public transport.
Most visitors, who start to gather from 4 p.m., are householders, with commuters and employers joining them to take a rest after work while enjoying the fair and waiting for the time to break the fast.
One of many other fair-goers, Hendra, 29, preferred to relax in the arena rather than staying at home during Ramadhan afternoons. He works for a printing firm and said he could watch different attractions and have plenty to choose from on the menu.
"We can have kolak (sweet fruit compote), rujak (fruit with sweet sauce), cakes, fried noodles, fresh drinks and many others, to suit our taste. The choice is limited at home but what's on offer depends on how much we want to spend, he told The Jakarta Post.
Hendra added that the price of most of the food at the Ramadhan fair was relatively low, with a wide range of choices on offer.
Nurleli Tanjung, a food vendor from Medan Maimoon district, said the cakes, noodles and fruit she sold generally cost the same as those on the market: anyang (spiced fruit or vegetables) at Rp 3,000 per portion, three pieces of cake for Rp 1,000, apples at Rp10,000 per kg and grapes at Rp 25,000 per kg.
If all her daily stock is sold, according to Nurleli, she can earn about Rp 150,000 in profit per day. "We haven't targeted a high profit, in order to allow the business to run smoothly," she added.
Ramli, Ramadhan fair committee chairman and Medan municipal secretary, said there were at least 62 pavilions for food and snack traders, opening from 3 p.m to 5.a.m., the predawn meal.
He pointed out that the fair also presented various shows and competitions, including those for calligraphy, mosque library arrangement, qasidah (religious chants with musical accompaniment), Muslim attire and drum beating.
The city administration has imposed no fees on contest participants or food vendors. Vendors of favorite foods from particular areas have been specially invited, such as those from South Tapanuli (Sumatra), Makassar (Sulawesi) and East Langsa (Aceh).
As observed by the Post, of the numerous dome-roofed food stands facing one another, only some, with particular food on offer were crowded by visitors, including Sisunggul Lungun, which offered South Tapanuli fish.
Bahrum Siregar (53), manager of the pavilion, said the South Tapanuli favorites he sold at the Ramadhan Fair were kholat, pakkat and arsik fish specialties, which were high in demand and sold well before the restaurant closed.
He revealed that to maintain the characteristic taste of the fish, he had to order all spices and flavorings direct from South Tapanuli. His stand sells 100 to 200 portions daily at Rp 5,000 to Rp 6,000 per helping, excluding rice.
"Thank God, from the sales we can make a profit of around 30 percent of the capital spent. For each specialty the total outlay is more than Rp 1,000,000," added Bahrum.
Abdillah said, following the fair opening, that this event was not only meant to brighten the atmosphere of the holy month but also to maximize community empowerment in a variety of potential fields for fostering regional development.
"This Ramadhan fair has been opened with the sincere goal of making people aware of the greatness of religious belief. We hope a similar program can be repeated next year," added Abdillah.