Assam: Eid al-Fitr Celebrations in Assam Set for Thursday as Crescent Moon Remains Unseen

ASSAM: The Central Hilal Committee of Assam has officially announced that Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, will be held on Wednesday, April 11. The decision came after the month of Shawwal was not observed in Assam and other parts of India, respectively to a press release issued by the committee.

Central Hilal Committee Assam president Maulana SK Fakhruddin Ahmed Kasimi and committee secretary Alhaj Imdad Hussain eventually confirmed the fact that the moon was not sighted, in line with reports from different parts of the state.


The sighting of the full moon determines the date of Eid al-Fitr, which varies from year to year depending on the lunar calendar. Muslims observe Ramadan as a month of fasting of 29 or 30 days, ending with Eid al-Fitr. Locals often wait until the night before Eid to confirm the moon sighting.

For the areas that began Ramadan on March 11, local lunar observers scanned the sky after sunset on Tuesday, April 9, for a nine-month crescent moon. This night, called Chand Raat, is eagerly awaited by Muslims waiting for the confirmation of Eid.

Had the full moon been sighted, the Eid celebrations would have begun the next day. But because the moon cannot be seen, Muslims are observing an extra day of fasting to complete the 30-day month of Ramadan, which ends on Eid al-Fitr Wednesday.

Eid al-Fitr is a celebration marked by communal prayers, feasting and exchanging gifts with family and friends. The annual festival has significance in the Islamic calendar, marking the end of a month of fasting, meditation and spiritual devotion.

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