Eid ul Fitr 2026 Moon Sighting Today Live: Will India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan celebrate Eid on Thursday?
live
For India, there is no official date announced for the Eid-ul-Fitr yet. However, many believe that the crescent moon could either be sighted on Friday, March 19, or Saturday, March 20.
Published: March 19, 2026 7:08 AM IST
New Delhi: Known as the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast,’ Eid falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar, marking the end of Ramadan. The Saudi Supreme Court on March 18 officially called for the sighting of the crescent moon of Shawwal in the evening, but the moon was not sighted anywhere in the Arab nation. Since March 19 marks the 30th day of the Shawwal month, Eid-Ul-Fitr will be celebrated in Saudi on Friday, March 20. For India, there is no official date announced for the Eid-ul-Fitr yet. However, many believe that the crescent moon could either be sighted on Friday, March 19, or Saturday, March 20. Once the crescent moon is sighted in Saudi Arabia, authorities in India get a timeline to announce Eid al-Fitr 2026. If the moon is sighted in India on Thursday, March 19, evening, Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Friday, March 20, aligning with Saudi Arabia. If the moon is not sighted on Thursday, Ramadan will complete 30 days on Friday, March 20, and Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday, March 21, 2026. To recall, the Saudi Supreme Court had announced that the Shawwal crescent moon would be sighted today following traditional Sunnah practices. As part of this, the primary observation is conducted at Sudair and Tumair, with astronomers from Al Maj’mah University tasked with locating the crescent. Meanwhile, UAE declared that for federal government entities, the Eid Al Fitr holiday will begin on Thursday, March 19, 2026, and continue until Sunday, March 22, 2026. For private sector employees, the holiday will run from Thursday, March 19, to Saturday, March 21, 2026, mentioned a report by Khaleej Times.
Leave a Reply