Eid Al Fitr 2023: India, Pakistan announce first day of festival

Countries across the world have announced the start of Eid Al Fitr 2023, with those who have spotted the Shawwal crescent moon on Thursday, April 20 – the signal of the end of the holy month of Ramadan – announcing Eid will fall on Friday, April 22. On the other hand, countries that did not spot the crescent on Thursday have announced that the Islamic festival would begin on Saturday, April 22.

In the UAE, the Shawwal crescent was spotted on Thursday evening, meaning the first day of Eid Al Fitr 2023 is on Friday, April 21. Countries all across the GCC, Asia, and the rest of the world are ushering in the festival with immense excitement as announcements continue to roll in.

The festival will be celebrated in India on Saturday, April 22, as the Shawwal crescent was not spotted on Thursday, April 20, local media outlets said, citing Muslim religious scholars – including India Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Sayyid Sad.

The country is home to millions of Muslims – according to India's population census, 14.2 per cent of its population is Muslim, making Islam the second-largest religion in the country.

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