The holy month of Ramadan has deep spiritual significance for Muslims around the world. It is a time of fasting, prayer and self-reflection and begins with the sighting of the crescent moon. Ramadan 2026, considered the holiest month of the Islamic lunar (Hijri) calendar, began on February 19.
In general, the crescent moon is first sighted in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and sometimes in parts of India and Western countries, while many areas in India start celebrating Ramadan a day later. This year, the moon signaling the start of Ramadan was sighted in India on Wednesday, February 18, and the first roza was observed on Thursday, February 19.
Observing the dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. During the month, practicing Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, harboring evil thoughts or actions, and engaging in marital relations between sunrise and sunset.
The pre-dawn meal before the fast begins is known as sehri, while the fast is broken at sunset with iftar. Below are the sehri and iftar timings for March 5 in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow, according to an Islamic search engine:
The timing of Sehri and Iftar shifts slightly by a few minutes each day in accordance with the sunrise and sunset changes that vary from city to city. The timing can also vary slightly within communities depending on whether individuals follow Sunni or Shia traditions, with the difference usually being only a few minutes.
Will there be two Ramadans in 2030?
For most nations in the northern hemisphere, the duration of fasting is shorter this year and will continue to decrease until 2031, when Ramadan will include the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, Al Jazeera reported.
For fasting Muslims living south of the equator, the number of hours of fasting will be longer than last year, the report said.
As the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan will be observed twice in 2030 – first on January 5 and then on December 26.
