India, March 15 -- Shadows stretch across the courtyard as a lone dua marks the night, with strangers sharing dates before the market's raunaq brings everyone together, says SAKSHI PRIYA

Can a lone dua bridge that hollow gap between a day of hunger and the loud joy of the evening spread? These red sandstone slabs at the Jama Masjid have seen this shift every single year since 1656. There is an old saying that fasting is a mirror for the soul, a thought that carries heavy weight during these long Ramzaan days. When the sun starts to drop, thousands of people pack into the vast courtyard while men gather around the central water pool for wazu. They splash cold water over their tired skin, a simple act that cleans both body and mind before ...