Sun Mar 02 11:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Ramadan to Begin on March 2nd in India
**New Delhi, India** – The crescent moon signifying the start of Ramadan was not sighted anywhere in India on Friday, February 28th, leading to the announcement that the holy month will commence on Sunday, March 2nd.
The Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Fatehpuri Masjid, Maulana Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, confirmed the news after contacting various regions across the country, including Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. Despite typically clear sightings in Gujarat’s Kutch region, no confirmation of the moon’s appearance was received. The sighting of the moon determines the start of the Islamic lunar month, which can be either 29 or 30 days long.
Similar announcements were made by the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Shaban Bukhari, and the Muslim organization, Imrat-e-Sharia Hind. They cited cloudy skies over Delhi as the reason for the lack of visibility and confirmed that nationwide searches yielded no positive results. While Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Australia will begin Ramadan on March 1st, India will follow suit on March 2nd.
Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection for Muslims worldwide. Observant Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, devoting more time to prayer and spiritual practices. Special evening prayers, known as Taraweeh, are held in mosques during which the entire Quran is recited. In Delhi, the Sehri (pre-dawn meal) will end at 5:28 AM on Sunday, March 2nd, and Iftar (breaking of the fast) will be at 6:21 PM.
Mufti Mukarram Ahmed urged the Muslim community to utilize this sacred month for increased devotion and prayer, especially for the well-being of India’s 1.4 billion citizens.
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