Eid-Ul-Fitr 2026 In India: Will It Be March 20 Or 21? Moon Sighting Timings Explained

In India, Thursday, 19 March is the 28th day of Ramadan. Thus, the moon sightin will be organised in India on 19 March, which is the 29th day of Ramadan here.

If the moon is sighted today, Eid in India will be on Friday. Otherwise, Eid will be on Saturday, 21 March, in India.

As has happened in the past, India celebrates Eid a day after Saudi Arabia. But there have been exceptions, too. There have been rare occasions when both Saudi Arabia and India celebrated Eid on the same day.

Islam uses the lunar calendar, which has twelve months. Each month, of 29 or 30 days, begins with the sighting of a new crescent moon called 'hilal' in Arabic. The start and end of each month are determined by crescent sighting.

Fitr begins on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth Islamic month after Ramadan. The moon is sighted the night before the new month starts.

Muslim clerics in India said there is a lower chance that Ramadan this year will be 30 days long. Still, it is mandated to sight the crescent after sunset today.

“We will look for crescent after sunset today. Though there are not much chances that the Shawwal moon will be sighted today,” said Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli of the Aishbagh Eidgah in Lucknow.

Also Read | Why is moon sighting central to Eid dates across India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia?

Apart from Lucknow, clerics will also take part in moon sighting in other cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Srinagar and Bhopal. In Delhi, the head cleric of Jama Masjid makes the announcement in the evening.

Significance of physical moon sighting

Traditionally, Muslims follow the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, who instructed them to start fasting when they see the moon and break fast when it is sighted again at the end of the month.

Crescent visibility depends on geography, weather conditions and time zones. Hence, different regions have different dates. Even within India, Eid has different dates. It is usually celebrated a day before in Kerala than in other states.

What is Eid
Fitr different from Eid
Adha?
Eid
Fitr or Eid al-Fitr is one of the two major holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide. The name literally translates from Arabic as the "Festival of Breaking the Fast."
Though there are not much chances that the Shawwal moon will be sighted today.
Eid
Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, and the beginning of Shawwal. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, the date shifts by about 10–11 days each year.
Also Read | Eid 2026: Saudi, Singapore, UAE, others confirm dates – Check full list

Eid al-Adha or the 'Festival of Sacrifice' is a commemoration of devotion. The day honours the story of the Prophet Ibrahim, who was willing to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, before a ram was provided in his place. It also marks the end of the Hajj (the annual pilgrimage to Mecca).