Revered first day of Ramadan

Keeping it spotless: A worker cleaning the Baiturrahman grand mosque ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Banda Aceh, Sumatra. — AFP

Millions of Muslims in Indonesia are gearing up to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to start today, with traditions and ceremonies across the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country amid soaring food prices.

From colourful torchlight street parades to cleaning relatives’ graves and sharing meals with family and friends, every region in the vast South-East Asian archipelago seems to have its own way to mark the start of Ramadan, highlighting the nation’s diverse cultural heritage.