Eid ul-Fitr 2026 Moon Sighting timing Highlights: India set to celebrate Eid on March 21

The most celebrated festival of the Muslim community in the world, Eid ul-Fitr, is finally here. After the holy Ramadan month of fasting from dawn until sunset, the festival is set to bring joy and prosperity to people's lives. As Wednesday, March 18, marks the 29th of Ramadan 1447, the Saudi Supreme Court has called on the community across the kingdom to sight the crescent moon on Shawwal this evening. However, in India, if the moon is sighted on March 19, the Eid celebrations will be on the next day or on the day that follows. Typically, India observes Eid a day after Saudi Arabia due to geographical differences in moon visibility. Eid is known as the "Festival of Breaking the Fast" because it is observed on the day after the last day of Ramadan. In the Islamic lunar calendar, it falls on the first three days of Shawwal, the tenth month of Hijri. Ramadan usually extends for 29 to 30 days, and the celebrations culminate with Eid festivities, corresponding to 1 Shawwal 1447 in the Islamic calendar. The moon sighting holds deep religious importance, as the Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles and each new month begins only after the crescent is seen.