Heat in pious times
Each year, somewhere in the world, the month of Ramzan/Ramadan coincides with a period of seasonal or unseasonal heat. How do religious authorities and observant Muslims manage life with heat during this month?
Our research examines this question around three themes: consumption, mobility and piety.
We are developing a collection of visual essays that document this work. Our collection will examine the gendered relationship between these themes, mixing participant observation and social analysis with an analysis of found materials from print and online media.
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Recipes for Life with Heat during Ramzan
Based on data collected through participant observation during the month of Ramzan in 2021, combined with an archive of found materials from print and online media, researchers at the Karachi Urban Lab and the Bandung Institute of Technology compiled a multilingual collection that explores the various intersections of heat with the Islamic month of fasting, focusing on notions of consumption, mobility, and piety. The collection analyzes various cooling practices that are observable throughout the month as temperatures rise, rhythmic changes in mobility, and problematizes understandings of piety associated with the holy month.
