Buzz
In Mumbai during Ramadan, the city’s historic street near Minara Masjid transforms at dusk into a bustling food festival. This vibrant night market, known locally as khau galli or 'eat street,' offers a feast of barbecue and sweets to Muslims breaking their fast. Photographer Hashim Badani, a longtime visitor to the festival, captured its lively atmosphere for Dinogo.
Mumbai’s monsoon season brings intense humidity, and the festival is no exception. “I was drenched in sweat,” Badani recalls of his experience. The street, crowded with food enthusiasts and Ramadan celebrants, moves with relentless energy. “You can’t stand still at khau galli. You’re sweating out the calories from the rich food you’re eating,” he adds.
While the meat options like chicken tikka and goat brain masala are plentiful, the sweets are the main attraction at khau galli, according to Badani. Festival-goers enjoy phirni, a sweet rice pudding in clay pots, crispy
As Badani captured the vibrant scenes, vendors eagerly engaged with the camera, offering complimentary sweets and briefly pausing to keep the lines moving. Many vendors earn as much during this nightly event as they do over the next six months combined, Badani notes.
The market remains lively throughout the night, serving post-work diners, late-night revelers, and Muslims grabbing a meal before dawn prayers. During Ramadan, this special street, usually off the beaten path, draws a diverse crowd of locals. Badani finds it heartwarming to witness Mumbai coming together over shared meals.
Hashim Badani is a photographer based in Mumbai.
