Kathmandu, May 18 -- Sheikh Akhtar has been waking up to his alarm at 2 am every day for the past 10 days. It is the month of Ramadan.

Akhtar has to get up early so that he has enough time to fill his body with nutritious food while it is still dark. For as soon as the sun is up, he has to start his fast. He fears that if he does not wake up on time, he will have to spend the day on an empty stomach.

As soon as he's up, Akhtar brushes his teeth with a simali stick (for Muslims not allowed to use artificially-manufactured products during Ramadan) and then takes a cold bath. He then recites the first namaz of the day, called fajr, and then sits down for the first of the two meals he's allowed to eat for the day. He then sleeps soundly for...