TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The sun has started to move down when Agus Mulyono busy preparing the snacks for sale at the Kampoeng Ramadan Jogokaryan, Yogyakarta. The 50-year-old man was going to sell serabi an Indonesian traditional rice pancake.

Agus, a man from Solo who had been settling in Yogyakarta, said that customers will start coming after ashar time (a time after muslim’s afternoon prayer time). The people usually hunted takjil (light snacks) to break fasting and they would overflow the market just before maghrib (the dusk).

Agus sold his serabi for Rp2,000 per piece and approximately after three hours, he could sell at least 200 serabi. On the ordinary days, Agus would only have sold around 100 serabi in one full day.

Kampoeng Ramadan Jogokaryan is the name for afternoon market which is opened by Takmir (organizers) of Jogokaryan Mosque , Yogyakarta. This market only exists during Ramadan. Various snacks which usually can be found in traditional markets as well as distinctive dishes are all offered by the vendors in this market.

The Takmir Chairman, Muhammad Jazir said that vendors are not only come from inside Yogyakarta but also from outside of Yogyakarta. The requirement to become vendor in this market, according to Muhammad, is not difficult. One of the main requirements is that vendors are not allowed to use harmful ingredients on their dishes. The number of vendors had also increased compared to last year.

In Kampoeng Ramadan Jogokaryan, other activities and entertainments were also held by the organizer such as photography competitions, mass breakfasting with orphans, and also open discussion that discuss about nationalism. The organizers had also invited international Muslim scholars to lead the taraweh prayer on the last ten nights of Ramadan.

ANANG ZAKARIA (YOGYAKARTA)