Hindu girl observes fasts in Ramadan to discover herself

A Hindu girl, named Neelam Gokulsing, has embarked on a journey of self-discovery by observing fasts in the holy month of Ramadan, Khaleej Times reported.

According to the publication, Neelam's fasting journey started as a gesture to show solidarity with Muslim friends in Malaysia, where she resided as a student and later as a working professional.

“Malaysia has a vast Muslim population. I started fasting during Ramadan over there in 2021. I have a lot of Muslim friends in Malaysia, and we used to have suhoor and iftar together. For me, it was all about solidarity and understanding that part of their culture although I am a Hindu," Neelam said while talking to a Gulf-based news channel.

Later, the 26-year-old moved to Dubai to pursue her career at a Fintech company, where she continued observing fasts.

"This also helped me understand how difficult a task is to go without food and water when you need to work," she said.

"It involves grasping the spiritual aspect of fasting, where individuals cleanse themselves and embrace associated concepts. It’s like teamwork that shows you all the values that you can uncover about yourself,” the publication said quoting Neelam as saying.

"I wake up for suhoor and eat something in the morning to keep me going throughout the day, with whatever is available in the fridge. But iftar is very special. I look forward to the meals with my colleagues at the end of the day. The meals typically consist of dates, juices, fruits, vegetables, and meats that are ordered in, or we go out somewhere."

Neelam said that she experienced a heightened awareness of her own habits, desires, and thought patterns by stopping eating certain foods or doing specific activities.

“It fosters a community feeling. It’s not only the fun or the good times alone but also waiting for that time of the day when you worked a lot and you’re already tired but at the end of the day you know you did it."

Neelam also aims to learn the Arabic language in order to communicate with locals frequently in their mother language.