Gur made Rajjar sweet of Charsadda draws people ahead of Eidul Fitr celebrations
PESHAWAR (APP): Made of ‘Gur’, the traditional Rajjar Methai (sweet) of the Charsadda district on Thursday attracted a large number of buyers by its outlets ahead of Eidul Fitr celebrations.
Rajjar, a small bazaar of Charsadda district with plenty of sweet shops, has started attracting sweet lovers in droves from across the province especially from Peshawar, Mardan, Mohmand, Khyber, Swabi and Nowshera districts due to its affordable price and delicious taste.
Located about one kilometer north of Charsadda City, Rajjar bazaar has now turned into a sweets market where great rush of buyers are being witnessed on all bakary shops these days.
The traditional sweet was brought in substantial quantity in Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Nowshera and Mardan districts where Rajjar sweets are being sold like a hot cake.
The consumers are being seen standing in long queues in front of sweet shops to wait for their turn to buy famous tasty sweet being identity of Charsadda despite the fast of Ramazan.
Muhammad Yaqoob, an owner of Razzar Sweet told APP that this hard earned business was started by his grandfather Israruddin alias Chacha Halwai in 1930, and he was proud to continue his legacy of being belonged to third generation running it today.
The delicious quality of the sweet differentiate it from rest of confectionaries in local markets due to its better taste, chemically free and affordable price.
The people served it to relatives, friends and guests as special item on Eid, weddings, engagements and children birthday parties to strengthen the bond of love and friendship.
It is a prefered choice of many poor and white collar people being sold on Rs 450-500 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 used by my grandfather in its preparation as sugar was not available in those anciant days.
Now-a-days, it is being prepared with various ingredients including desi ghee, milk, butter, gur and white flour enhances its taste.
He said about 55,000 to 65,000 people are directly or indirectly associated with this business.
The popular sweet draw traders from Afghanistan and Central Asian Republic while marching to subcontinent via Charsadda and Peshawar through GT Road.
The orders placed by the traders from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Punjab were dispatched as Eid special offer.
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.
The local people also send the sweets as a gift to their friends and relatives, living in other parts of the country as well as abroad.
He said it was being exported to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria and several Middle Eastern countries besides send to America, UK and other western states as a gift for friends and relatives.
“Rajar sweet is my first choice on Meeti Eid. I purchased 30 kilogram sweets including five KG each for my married sisters, maternal uncles and relatives as special Eid gift,” Umar Khan, a resident of Pabbi told APP.
“I personally like it because it is prepared in milk and gur making it more delicious, tastey and free of adulteration,” he said.
He said Pakistan can earn valuable foreign exchange by exporting the traditional confectionery to international markets.
Focus should be made on its marketing by involving foreign missions to explore new avenues for this popular product.
Zeeshan Khan, an official of the KP Forest Department said that Rajjar sweet was an essential part of my shopping and his Eid seemed incomplete without it.
Yaqoob said coronavirus pandemic, floods and inflation had affected the business and shopkeepers suffered substantial economic losses.
He urged KP Government to announce relief package for the affected shopkeepers of Rajjar sweets.
The shopkeepers and manufacturers 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.
