Soaring food prices dampen traditional niyaz preparations in Hyderabad

With the advent of the holy month of Muharram, Azadari (mourning) rituals in the second biggest urban centre of Sindh are in full swing, as processions of zuljinah, alam, tazia and Jhola mark the city's religious landscape.

Alongside these commemorations, the preparation and distribution of nazr and niyaz have also reached their peak. However, a steep rise in the prices of essential food items, particularly spices, meat, and firewood, has forced many community members to turn to catering services instead of preparing meals at home. Organisers of large-scale niyaz say runaway prices have made it financially unviable to cook at home. As a result, they are placing orders at local cooking centres for ready-to-serve meals to distribute among mourners.

Traditionally, the first 10 days of Muharram witness the highest volume of niyaz distribution in Hyderabad, with a variety of food items, including biryani, haleem, sweets, etc, served across the city. This year, however, people are feeling the pinch. The prices of staple dishes have seen a sharp increase. The cost of a 10kg deg of chicken biryani has jumped from Rs10,000-12,000 to Rs15,000-16,000, while a beef biryani deg of the same quantity now costs between Rs20,000 and Rs22,000 — a significant rise from last year's Rs15,000-16,000.

Haleem has also become more expensive. A 100kg haleem deg that used to cost around Rs17,000 is now being sold at Rs22,000 to Rs25,000 by catering services. Meanwhile, some have shifted to distributing simpler food items such as dal-roti, halwas, and channa.