Eid-ul-Fitr moonsighting: Eid-ul-Fitr most likely to be celebrated in India on April 22

Eid-ul-Fitr moonsighting: Eid-ul-Fitr would most likely be celebrated on April 22 as the crescent moon was not seen on April 20, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramzan, Muslim religious scholars said on Thursday. Kerala, on most occasions, celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr a day before the rest of India, as the moonsighting for the festival happens there a day before the rest of the nation.
Since the moon was not sighted in the southern state, Eid is most likely to be celebrated on April 22.

The moon was sighted in most of the Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and the festival there will be celebrated on April 21, Friday.   

The scholars, including India Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, said that since the crescent moon was not seen, Eid would be celebrated on Saturday.

The Kerala government, meanwhile, declared April 22 as a government holiday on the occasion of Eid. According to the calendar, the holiday for Eid is on Friday, April 21.

Earlier in the day, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan extended Eid greetings to Malayalis across the world.

While wishing everyone on the occasion, Khan hoped that the festival would instill compassion and brotherhood in the minds of people.

"My heartiest greetings to Keralites all over the world, on the solemn occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. May the celebration of Eid ennoble our minds with compassion and the spirit of brotherhood, and guide us towards piety and greater goodness," he said in a statement released by the Kerala Raj Bhavan.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated across the world on different days, and it is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, which is supposed to denote the start of the Shawwal month in the lunar Islamic calendar. It marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramzan.

(With inputs from IANS)