Community members and vendors filled Elaichi Co. last Thursday night for a Chand Raat celebration featuring food, shopping, henna and chai ahead of Eid al-Fitr, transforming the cafe into a lively community bazaar.
Chand Raat, which translates to “Night of the Moon” in Urdu, is a South Asian tradition celebrated on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, or the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” that marks the end of Ramadan. In Islam, Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, prayer and self-reflection.
Elaichi Co., located in Downtown Berkeley, is a South Asian-inspired cafe that serves different types of chai. Thursday’s celebration was Elaichi Co.’s third-ever Chand Raat.
“We have a really lively, vibrant community gathering this evening, and that’s really what Chand Raat is about,” said Elaichi co-founder Zainab Joyo. “I grew up going to Eid bazaars every year with my family where we would shop for clothes, jewelry and get our henna done — and so now we get to create that space here.”
With more than 650 RSVPs and people coming and going throughout the evening, Joyo said the celebration was Elaichi’s biggest Chand Raat to date.
Elaichi served its signature karak chai throughout the night. Co-founder Muhammad “Mojo” Joyo described chai as a “social connector,” much like how various community members and vendors described Chand Raat as a togetherness festival.
“It is a very community-based event,” said Gull Hasnat, who attended the event. “As an immigrant myself, one thing I look for every Eid is a sense of community and togetherness, celebrating with people from similar-ish backgrounds who are ending this whole month and coming together to just feel this sense of oneness.”
Roughly nine South Asian, Middle Eastern and North African-based vendors also participated in the event, supplying halal street food, South Asian cookies, artisan-crafted jewelry, henna and more.
“The common thread between all of these vendors is that they are somehow South Asian or (Middle East North African)-based,” Zainab said. “That was really important for us because we’re trying to uplift the South Asian community, but that also means providing a platform for other small South Asian businesses.”
Many of the vendors wove social impact into their work, supporting initiatives ranging from environmentally friendly production to funding disadvantaged communities in India, as well as supporting humanitarian efforts in Palestine.
“I think Elaichi loves bringing the community together and like-minded people who eat and celebrate small brands,” said Hyperbole Accessories founder and designer Gazal Kothari, who sold artisan jewelry as a vendor.
The henna booth by Bay Area artist Ananya Mehendi was one of the most popular attractions of the night.
For Elaichi’s founders, the evening mirrored the very purpose their cafe served: cultivating a place for conversation, community and connection to cultural heritage.
By the end of the night, the celebration reflected a space for cultural connection, community building and a shared tradition in the heart of Berkeley.
“I love that they opened a place which doesn’t just represent their roots, but they’re also constantly trying to keep connected to those roots through events that invite people from their culture, people from their roots and bring in that sense of togetherness,” Hasnat said.