The business of traditional sweets including the famous Rajjar, Mardani Payra and Peshawari Gulab Jaman sweets are shined on eve of Eidul Fitr celebrations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where these special items are being sold like a hot cake after the Government allowed its takeaway away services to provide relief to traders, shoppers and shopkeepers during the lockdown imposed to contain coronavirus.
Rajjar sweets of Charsadda, Mardani Payra of Mardan and Peshawari Gulab Jaman, have attracted people in substantial numbers on Wednesday due to its affordable price, quality and delicious taste.
The bakary shops of these special sweets were visited by a number of buyers in Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Nowshera and Mardan districts and purchased it for their families and loved ones as special Eid gifts.
Located about one kilometer north of Charsadda City, Rajjar bazaar has now turned into a sweets market, attracting people from across the country especially from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on eve of Eidul Fitr.
At Rajjar bazaar, consumers were seen standing in queues in front of sweet shops to wait for their turn under SOPs to buy the famous tasty sweet being identity of Charsadda despite hot weather and fast of Ramazan.
Haji Muhammad Yaqoob, Rajar Sweet House owner said this business was started by his grandfather Israruddin alias Chacha Halwai in 1930 and he belonged to the third generation that was running it even today.
He said delicious taste, chemically free quality and affordable price of Rajjar sweet differentiate it from rest of confectionaries in local markets.
People served it to relatives and guests as special item on Eid, weddings, engagements and children birthday parties to strengthen the bond of love and friendship.
Rajjar sweet is as a prefered choice of many poor, salaried and white collar people being sold on Rs300-320 per kilogram in local markets.
Haji Yaqoob said recipe for the popular sweet has changed over the years, adding only butter, flour and gur were being used by my forefathers in its preparation as sugar was not available in those days.
“Now-a-days it was being prepared with various ingredients including desi ghee, milk, butter, gur and white flour which make it more delicious.”
The popular sweet had attracted traders from Afghanistan and Central Asian Republic while marching to subcontinent via Charsadda and Peshawar through GT Road.
“Taders from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Punjab have placed their orders ahead of Eidul Fitr and extra labour was hired to meet their pressing demands.” The inter provincial businessen and traders have made substantial investment by purchasing huge stocks of the confectionary for their outlets to cater consumers’ high demands for Eid besides earned maximum profits.
Local people also send sweets as a gift to their friends and relatives, living in other parts of the country as well as abroad.
It was being exported to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and several Middle Eastern countries besides America, UK and western states as a gift for friends and relatives, he said.
“My Eid seemed incomplete without Rajjar sweet which is my first choice on Meeti Eid. I have purchased 10 kilogram sweets including two KG each for my married sister and brother as special Eid gift,” Zeeshan Khan, a lover of Rajjar sweet belonged to Wapda Town Nowshera district told APP. He said that he personally like Rajjar sweet because it was prepared in milk and gur making it more delicious, tastey and free of adulteration. Pakistan can earn valuable foreign exchange by exporting the confectionery to international markets.
Focus should be made on its marketing by involving foreign missions to explore new avenues for this popular product.
Qaisar Khan, a retired employee of Wapda said Rajjar, Mardani Peera and Peshawari Gulab Jaman were an essential part of my Eid shopping.
He appreciated the Government to allow takeaway services of food and sweets items during the pandemic to facilitate people, shoppers and traders
He demanded for giving Rajjar sweets status of industry and special incentives to people associated with this old business to earn valuable foreign exchange for the country.
Yaqoob said coronavirus lockdown has badly affected our business and shopkeepers were struggling to continue it due to substantial economic losses because of the pandemic. He urged Government to announce relief package for lockdown affected shopkeepers of Rajjar, Mardani and Peshawari Gulab Jaman sweets, enabling them to continue their business.
