On a breezy evening, thousands of Muslims sat side by side at the grand Jama Masjid in India's capital New Delhi as they waited for the siren to signal the end of their daily Ramadan fast.
Groups of devotees huddled together in the vast 17th-century mosque courtyard, some spreading plates of fruit and fried snacks and others the traditional mixed rice dish, biryani.
But almost every group carried a bottle of the quintessential bright pink Ramadan drink – Rooh Afza.
They say the cool and sugary drink provides much-needed energy after a long day of fasting.
Shabana Begum, 40, patiently waited for the siren to blow to signal the end of the fast.
She and her family members ate a handful of dates to end the fast and then had rounds of the sweet viscous drink mixed with milk to quench their thirst.
“Rooh Afza is extremely important for us. After fasting for 12 hours, only this drink quenches our thirst.” Ms Begum told The National.
The scene is repeated with dozens of groups gathered at the mosque, and devotees serving the drink in plastic glasses or gulping it down straight from a plastic bottle.
The drink, which was created in the 20th century in Old Delhi, became a popular drink, first among Indians in the scorching heat and later with fasting Muslims.
For decades, Rooh Afza, which is Persian for “refresher of the soul", has been a staple thirst-quencher for Muslims during the holy month.
After a long day of fasting in the heat, the ultra-sweet-concoction of herbs and fruit with a strong rosy aroma comes as a rescue. Just like the popular drink Vimto in the Middle East, it is also widely used to accompany the iftar meal.
Drinkers say the cooling effect and sugar content – both of which provide them the much-needed energy after the day-long fast – makes it an immensely popular drink in the country.
“We start fasting early in the morning and end in the evening. My grandfather, father have been ending their fast with the drink. It truly quenches the thirst,” Ms Begum said.
“We cannot imagine breaking our fast with any other drink.”
Mohammad Ishrat nods in agreement with Ms Begum. The 28-year-old lives in the old part of the city and is a regular visitor to the mosque for iftar.
“There is no iftar without this drink. It is sweet, cold and healthy. It makes me feel instantly energetic,” Mr Ishrat said.
Sweet beginnings
Rooh Afza was created by Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed, a traditional healing practitioner in the congested quarters of Old Delhi in 1907. The syrup was meant to be a cure for heat stroke, dehydration and diarrhoea.
After partition of the country into India and Pakistan in 1947, one of his sons stayed in Delhi while the other moved across the border. They set up factories for Rooh Afza and the businesses have since been thriving on both sides.
The sherbet, a syrup that is traditionally mixed with water, is believed to have up to 21 ingredients, including sandalwood, vetiver, pine, mint, spinach, and the heady rose – all known for their cooling properties.
The exact recipe of the concoction has been kept a family secret and has not changed in the past 115 years, the makers claim.
Despite the introduction of colas and carbonated drinks, Rooh Afza’s popularity has not been shaken.
Every year, 20 million bottles of the chiller are sold, according to the Delhi-based manufacturer. The drink has made its way to Australia, the Middle East and other continents, where Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi diaspora reside.
During Ramadan, demand increases because the drink is a staple on the dining table.
“We make the drink in big cauldrons and tumblers and keep drinking it between iftar and suhoor. We have a family of 12 and we finish up to four to five bottles in a week, my children, nieces and nephews like it. I add mangoes, lemon juice and even milk,” Ms Begum said.
Buzzing customers
The most basic way of making the sherbet is by adding water or milk, but aficionados of the drink give their own twist to it.
Dozens of stalls in the old city have cropped up in recent years, selling varieties of the popular drink.
From using the syrup as a topping on ice cream, in a pudding or mixing it with lemonade, Rooh Afza is consumed in many ways, but the most popular creation is “mohabbat-e-sherbat” or “the love drink”.
The version is made with milk, crushed ice and chunks of ruby watermelons and is sold by vendors in and around the grand mosque.
Those who can’t make it to the mosque for iftar and those who visit the market for Eid shopping, swarm the stalls that sell a glass of the drink for 20 rupees (24 cents).
“I drink it every evening because it tastes very good. It keeps the stomach cool. After fasting the whole day, this gives me energy. I like the watermelons in it,” Mohammed Taliwan, 18, a weaver, told The National.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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- Price: Not announced yet
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The specs
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
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Germany
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Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Schedule for show courts
Centre Court - from 4pm UAE time
Johanna Konta (6) v Donna Vekic
Andy Murray (1) v Dustin Brown
Rafael Nadal (4) v Donald Young
Court 1 - from 4pm UAE time
Kei Nishikori (9) v Sergiy Stakhovsky
Qiang Wang v Venus Williams (10)
Beatriz Haddad Maia v Simona Halep (2)
Court 2 - from 2.30pm
Heather Watson v Anastasija Sevastova (18)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) v Simone Bolelli
Florian Mayer v Marin Cilic (7)
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Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
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Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
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Race card
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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