MUMBAI, INDIA, July 21, 2001: Yesterday was the last night of indulgence for meat-eaters as the one-month period of abstinence begins today with the onset of the month of Shravan. And indulge they did, according to this report in the Chalo Mumbai news web site. Manjunath Shetty, owner of Ashoka Restaurant & Bar in Dadar, said, “Business almost doubled today. It’s only 10 pm, and already the chicken dishes are over. But these people are happy as long as they get anything non-vegetarian. We will be open longer than normal working hours.” Ajit Lalani, owner of Sheetal Wines in Chembur, said, “We are happy with this huge rush. From tomorrow, in any case, we will be swatting flies for a month.” Many are looking forward to the period of abstinence. Ananya Rao, a Thane housewife, said, “The abstinence will not only fulfill my religious duties, but also help me lose some weight.” Rajesh Mahajan, a Navi Mumbai-based counsellor for drug and alcohol dependents, said, “Most consumers of alcoholic beverages, even confirmed alcoholics, take their pledge of abstinence quite seriously during this month. However, that is more than made up for during Ganesh Utsav festival.”
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