Hyderabad: Colourful skull caps beckon customers at Old City ahead of Eid ul Fitr

Markets in areas such as Pathergatti, Charminar, Mallepally and Borabanda are flooded with different varieties of these traditional as well as trendy accessories for Ramzan

Hyderabad: Variety is the flavour of Ramzan. With the Eid ul Fitr fast approaching, men are visiting the stores that sell skull caps to pick the latest design, or the traditional cap to be worn for the Eid prayers.

Traditionally, Muslims wear new clothes for the Eid ul Fitr prayers. To match the outfit, they make it a point to buy a new cap and wear it for the prayers.

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Varied colours and designs of caps, both locally manufactured and imported from across the globe, are sold in the markets at Pathergatti, Charminar, Mallepally and Borabanda in the run up to the festival. A cap is priced anywhere between Rs 50 and can go up to Rs 20,000, depending on its make and the material used for its manufacture.

“Generally, people buy a cap priced between Rs 100 and Rs 300. The preference differs depending on the age group. Youngsters prefer designer caps while the elders select the traditional Qureshi topi manufactured in neighbouring Bangladesh,” said Mohd Qasim, of MM Cap Mart at Charminar. He is also into manufacture of the designer caps worn on designer kurtas and sherwanis.

The caps are manufactured mainly in Indonesia, China, Thailand, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and imported by the businessmen here. During the run up to the Eid ul Fitr, the imports are high due to the increase in demand.

“The cap is priced depending upon the cloth used in its making. Some caps are expensive because the best quality suiting is used for its manufacture and, being durable, it lasts long,” said Mohd Ahmed Ali, of Ahmed Raza Cap at Masab Tank, who sells through online business channels.

The most sought caps in the city are the Qureshi cap, Barkati cap and Omani cap. “People prefer the Nizami cap also called the Rumi topi, worn in particular by the Royal family members. Also, there is demand for Rampuri, Dastar and other traditional caps,” said Mohd Mujtaba of Irani Topi and Perfumes, a 100-year-old shop at Pathergatti.

According to the local traders, the sales register a significant increase during the month of Ramzan. “About 20 per cent sale is witnessed during the Ramzan month. People keep at least a pair of caps handy,” said Riyaz Ahmed, a vendor at Charminar.

Varieties of caps

• Rumi Topi
• Kashmiri Topi
• Qureshi Topi
• Bakshi Topi
• Omani Topi
• Indonesia Topi
• Pakistani Topi
• Hand knit Topi
• Sindhi cap
• Rampuri cap
• Qaraqul cap
• Kufi Topi
• Samoor cap
• Gandhi cap
• Dastar Topi
• Jinnah Topi
• Kashmiri Topi
• Shami Topi
• Designer Topi
• Turkish Topi