Demand for prayer mats, rosaries on the rise

Religious paraphernalia popular gift during holy month

KARACHI:

There has been an increase in the demand for locally-manufactured prayer mats, rosaries, caps as well as folding chairs for the elderly and sick people this Ramazan, with the increase in prices of imported goods, declining purchasing power and import restrictions affect prices.

The prices of these products have increased by 40 to 60 per cent due to the increase in demand. Like every Ramazan, philanthropists gift the Holy Quran, prayer mats and folding chairs to places of worship including mosques, madrassas and imambargahs. The increase in the hadiya (cost) of the Holy Quran has also been attributed to the high cost of paper and printing material.

This was the consensus of shopkeepers and traders, including Athar Ahmed, Rizwan Ahmed and others sell the above items, during a survey of the market conducted by The Express Tribune.

Prayer rugs

Athar Ahmed, a merchant selling rugs and carpets for mosques, madrassas and imambargahs, said that rugs and prayer mat could not be imported this Ramazan due to the bad economic conditions and restrictions on imports. The price of different types of rugs ranges from Rs60 to Rs150 per foot. It is a woolen prayer rug which consists of 25 to 30 feet.

He said that cotton prayer rugs were being sold for prices ranging between Rs130 to Rs180 per foot.

Naseem Ahmed, a trader who sells prayer rugs of plastic, said that nylon rugs are being gifted in mosques this Ramazan mostly by philanthropists.

These rugs are of two types in terms of quality. Nylon rugs are manufactured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the price of ready-made first-grade prayer rug is Rs75 to Rs85 per foot while the price of second grade nylon prayer rug is Rs65 per foot.

He said that the cost of a nylon prayer rug produced in Karachi is Rs55 per foot. It is a 25-foot nylon prayer rug.

Manzar Ahmad, a shopkeeper selling prayer carpets, pointed out that imports of the carpet prayer rug from other countries including Turkey and China had been banned. However, Gujranwala-made velvet carpet prayer rugs were selling well. Velvet carpet rug ranges from Rs450 to Rs1,800 per foot. These velvet carpet-like rugs are four feet wide and are used in mosques in upscale areas.

Prayer mats

Athar Ahmad, a shopkeeper who sells locally as well as imported prayer mats. He said imported prayer mats weren't selling well this year due to low stock as the banned had made it expensive to import. At present, the minimum price of different types of prayer mats sold in the local markets is Rs400 and the maximum price is Rs8,500. As the Saudi riyal is too expensive, Umrah pilgrims take prayer mat with them. Most people are buying folding prayer mats. Its price ranges from Rs3,000 to Rs5,000.

Holy Quran

Rizwan Ahmed, a businessman, says Holy Quran is the most popular gift during Ramazan. The number of reciters of the Holy Quran increases in the holy month, he continued. People bring new copies of Holy Quran to their homes. He said the demand for copies of the Holy Quran with good binding and large letters has increased.

Apart from this, sets of thirty chapters of the Holy Quran, Panj Surah, Manzil, Surah-e-Yasin are also in greater demand. The minimum hadiya for a set of Holy Quran is Rs600 and the maximum is Rs8,000. Moreover, different types of digital Quran are also available in the market, which range from Rs6,500 to Rs12,000. It is bought more by students memorizing the Holy Quran. Others use it at home to correct the pronunciation of the Quran and to recite it with Tajweed.

Rosaries

Athar Ahmed, a shopkeeper selling different types of rosaries, said that at this time, the sale of local rosary is high. They are made of wood, plastic beads, stone, crystal, glass and other material. Prices of these items range from Rs30 to Rs2,000. It consists of 33 to 1,000 beads. People buy 33-bead crystal rosaries more. Apart from this, electronic rosaries are also being sold at prices ranging from Rs100 to Rs1,500.

Khalid, a shopkeeper who sells prayer chairs, said that a large number of people are suffering from backache and knee problems. Various types of comfortable chairs are being sold which include plastic, iron, steel and folding chairs with prices ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs5,000. These chairs are gifted by people to mosques during Ramazan.

Manzar Ahmed, a shopkeeper selling miswak, said that it is used more in Ramazan than in other months. There are different types of miswak which include olive, cacao, walnut, pilo and others. It is also a popular gift during Ramazan. Their price ranges from Rs30 to Rs250 per piece. People sell miswak outside mosques for extra income during Ramazan.

Prayer caps

Athar Ahmed, a shopkeeper selling prayer caps (the Muslim skullcap), said that there was a ban on the import of caps from Turkey, China and Bangladesh due to which the demand for locally-produced prayer caps had increased. These prayer caps are made of cloth, thread, plastic and other material.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2023.