Eid-ul-Fitr 2021 in India to be celebrated on 14 May; Saudi Arabia declares Eid on 13 May

The holy month of Ramadan is nearing its end. Observed for 29-30 days, it started in India on 14 April. Also known as Ramzan, Muslims fast in this month from dawn to dusk. The fast includes not drinking water or eating food and indulging in any immoral activity. The crescent moon of the month of Shawwal marks the end of Ramadan. The first day of Shawwal is celebrated as Eid-ul-Fitr. This festival is celebrated by Muslims across the world. Usually, they wear new clothes on the day, offer prayers and enjoy feasts. In Saudi Arabia, the crescent moon has not been sighted on the evening of Tuesday, 11 May which was the 29th day of Ramadan. Therefore, the month of Ramadan will be 30 days long and the moon for Shawwal will be sighted on the evening of Wednesday, 12 May. Eid will be celebrated in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, 13 May. In India, the new moon is sighted generally a day after Saudi Arabia. Therefore Eid is expected to be celebrated in the country on Friday, 14 May. The timing of the last roza which will be on 13 May is Sehri at 4:03 am and Iftar at 7:04 pm. This timing is for Delhi. Depending on the time of the sunset, people living in different Indian cities can try to get a glimpse of the crescent moon which will mark the beginning of the month of Shawwal. The Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Mosque in Delhi has urged people to offer Eid prayers at home, keeping in mind the situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with offering Eid prayers, Muslims also give out money as zakat (which is considered to be an essential pillar of Islam).