KATHMANDU, March 25: Ramadan, the holy month of the Islamic calendar, has begun from Friday.
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This ninth month of the lunar calendar is when Muslims observe Roza (fasting) --abstaining from food, water from sunrise to sunset. Roza is mandatory for all Muslims, except the children and the ill.
Those observing Roza keep their body pure and recite the holy Quran five times a day regularly. The festival is believed to promote self-discipline, sacrifice and empathy for those who are less fortunate, thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity.
