Hyderabad: Enthusiasm marked the beginning of Muslim holy month of Ramzan across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday as the overnight rains in Hyderabad and elsewhere provided some relief to people from sweltering summer heat.

With the sighting of the new moon, Muslims began the fasting month by offering special prayers "namaz-e-taraveeh" at mosques on Saturday night. After "namaz-e-Isha" or last namaz of the day, "namaz-e-taraveeh" was offered at all the mosques with "huffaz" reciting the holy Quran. The biggest congregation was seen at the historic Mecca Masjid near Charminar, where the state's minorities welfare department made elaborate arrangements for the holy month. Large congregations were also seen at big mosques in Hyderabad like Shahi Masjid in Public Gardens, Masjid-e-Chowk, Darulshifa and Mallepally mosque.

Women also joined in the prayers at Azizia Masjid at Mehdipatnam and some other mosques. Separate arrangements were made for women also at function halls. The month-long activity began with the special prayer. Enthusiasm marked the first night of the holy month with the devout attired in their best offering the prayers. The fasting began with the "sahr" or pre-dawn meals. Those fasting abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. With Ramadan beginning in the month of May, the duration of each "roza" or fast will be over 14 hours. In Hyderabad, it will be 14 hours 40 minutes.

The sudden rains on Saturday night significantly brought down the temperature in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, providing relief to people reeling under the heat wave conditions. Some places in Telangana were recording the maximum temperature of 43-45 degrees Celsius for the past few days. With the beginning of Ramadan, markets came alive in old city of Hyderabad and other Muslim majority pockets in the city and other towns in the states. With Muslims traditionally preferring to break the fast with dates, the traders kept huge stocks of different varieties of dates, both Indian and imported. Fruit vendors were doing a brisk business.

Security has been tightened at several mosques in Hyderabad in Telangana and at several places in Andhra Pradesh to prevent any untoward incident during the holy month of Ramzan.

The sale of "dahi bade" and snacks picks up in the evening. Like during every Ramadan, almost every hotel and eatery will be selling "Haleem", a lipsmacking and favourite dish during the fasting month. The Telangana government has issued orders allowing Muslim employees to leave the office an hour early during Ramadan. They are permitted to go home at 4.00 p.m. Muslims constitute 12.7 per cent of Telangana's 3.5 crore population. About half of the Muslim population of the state lives in Hyderabad. The community constitutes about 9 per cent of Andhra Pradesh's five crore population.