Indian Muslims quench thirst with traditional Rooh Afza after iftar

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.