T

akjil, or breaking of the fast dishes, could be an instrument for building togetherness and caring for others. This is at least true at the Sabiilurosyaad Mosque in Wijirejo, Pandak, Bantul, Yogyakarta.

The mosque serves rice porridge with sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables cooked in coconut milk) and tofu as a side dish.

'€œAll the ingredients are donated by the local community. This symbolizes togetherness,'€ Haryadi of the mosque management said recently.

Serving porridge for the breaking of the fast menu, according to Haryadi, has been conducted at the mosque for generations. The tradition is believed to have been dated to the 15th century as preacher Kanjeng Panembahan Bodho or Raden Trenggono preached Islam in the region.

Since food, including rice, were rare and expensive commodities at that time, the rice was cooked into porridge so the food could be distributed to more people more evenly. While distributing the porridge, Panembahan Bodho did his preaching.

'€œPorridge can also mean spreading, as well as meaning melting, meaning that Islam has to melt into people'€™s lives,'€ Haryadi said.

In another region, like in Soge village, also in Bantul, takjil of the same menu is prepared by a group of four to seven families. '€œThey often cook the food together, which is also good for building the sense of togetherness and maintaining good relationships,'€ Soge resident Sarjiyono said.

At the Masjid Gede Mosque in Kauman, Yogyakarta, similarly, breaking of the fast foods are also prepared every day with a special menu of goat curry every Thursday. The tradition was a legacy from the ruling of Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII and the founding father of the Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, KH Achmad Dahlan.

Separately in Semarang, Central Java, breaking of the fast has always been considered special at the Pekojan Jami'€™ Mosque in Petolongan village, Purwodinatan, Central Semarang, with the serving of Indian porridge or bubur India.

Mat Soim of the mosque management said that the tradition had been there since some 200 years ago and marked the development of the Gujarat culture in the city. The recipe is a legacy from the Gujarat people and their descents who have resided in Semarang since hundreds of years ago.

'€œIndian traders set up a community here and named the village Koja [or Pekojan as it is later more popularly known]. They built a mosque here and organized programs in Ramadhan, one of which is serving Indian porridge for breaking of the fast,'€ Mat Soim said.

Ngatiman, 72, one of the Indian porridge cookers, said that what was special about the porridge was its taste and that it was only served during Ramadhan.

He said he put various spices to prepare the porridge that needs some three hours to cook. He said he also needed firewood to cook. Otherwise, the taste would be different. '€œWe also have to continuously stir it during cooking so it will cook evenly,'€ he said.

The porridge, he said, could be enjoyed with goat curry, tofu, sayur lodeh or soup and was accompanied with coffee or milk.

'€œIf we receive more donations for the breaking of the fast, we also serve the porridge with dates and
Zamzam water,'€ Ngatiman said.

At exactly 4 p.m., kids from the surrounding areas are already queuing for the porridge. They bring their own bowls. The porridge is also served to worshipers at the mosque.

The mosque, he said, prepares between 200 and 300 bowls of the porridge every day. '€œThe porridge is only served once a year. It'€™s worth queuing,'€ said Maimunah, a resident, who was queuing for the porridge.