Jakarta – Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-populated nation, is bracing for the seasonal price rises, curbs on night-time entertainment and mass treks homeward that come with the holy fasting month, Ramadan.

Muslims, who account for more than 80 percent of the 210 million people here, will start Ramadan on Friday or Saturday depending on the sighting of the new moon.

From dawn to dusk they will shun food, drink, tobacco, sex and impure thoughts.

The pace of life will slow markedly as people rise before dawn to eat. Little time is left for sleep, with long joint prayer sessions in the evenings and the continuous bang of firecrackers.

Offices will gradually empty as the month nears its end and many head for their home towns to celebrate the Eid al-Fitri festival on December 16-17 with their families.

At least 17 million people are expected to take part in the exodus this year. The government faces the daunting task of ensuring adequate and affordable public transport.

The transport ministry started preparing in June to cater for the rush during the peak period, from December 9 to January 4. Christmas Day and New Year's Day are also holidays in this secular nation.

Travellers themselves face long traffic jams on the main highways, especially on overcrowded Java island, packed public transport and higher fares due to ticket scalping.

Many housewifes will have to make do without maids and other servants for several weeks as they head home to celebrate the end of the Ramadan with families.

Expenses soar during Ramadan, with prices surging in the face of higher demand, the need for a richer diet to cope with fasting during the day and new clothes to celebrate the end of the month.

School holidays, at least for part of Ramadan, also mean a greater outlay on family entertainment and outings.

By contrast, bars and nightclubs face a subdued month. Following pressure from Muslim hardline groups, authorities in many regions and cities have already ordered the closure of bars, nightclubs, karaoke joints and massage parlors for the entire month.

The governor of Jakarta, known for its lively nightlife, has yet to issue a final ruling on which nightspots can stay open, albeit with shorter hours.

Governor Sutiyoso had earlier agreed to let selected nightspots, such as bars and pubs, remain open. Following complaints from some Muslim groups, he is now considering either closing them altogether for the month or letting them stay open but without selling alcohol.

Hardliners have threatened to raid bars and nightclubs if they stay open.

Although the fasting month is usually devoid of any large street demonstrations, Ramadan this year may be different. Any US-led attacks in Afghanistan during Ramadan may spark angry protests, said Muhammad Hikam, a political researcher with the state Institute of Science and a former research and technology minister.

"If the US fails to heed warnings from Muslims all over the world to stop its aggression on Afghanistan during Ramadan, it will reap more anger, resentment and protest from Muslims, including in Indonesia," Hikam said.

President Megawati Sukarnoputri has already called for a halt to the attacks during the holy month. "We urge that all military aggression currently being launched to seek suspected perpetrators of terrorism, which has increasingly caused innocent civilians to fall victim, be discontinued during the Ramadan holy month and Christmas," she said this month.