India marks Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha as gazetted public holidays. Both are major festivals for India’s roughly 172-million-strong Muslim community, one of the largest in the world.
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1. Two Eids, Two Meanings
- Eid-ul-Fitr Meaning Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is a day of prayer, charity, and family gatherings.
- Story Eid-ul-Adha commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son on God’s command. It falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, during the Hajj pilgrimage period.
- Mechanism Both festivals follow the Hijri lunar calendar. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year, so each festival shifts about 10 to 11 days earlier every Gregorian year.
- How The exact date is confirmed only after the new moon is sighted, usually the evening before. That’s why calendars often list a “probable” date, finalised at the last moment.
- Public Holiday Both Eids are gazetted public holidays in India. The central government sets a provisional date, and states confirm the final date locally based on moon sighting.
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2. How India Celebrates
- In practice Both Eids begin with a special congregational prayer, Eid namaz, held at mosques and open grounds called Eidgahs. Large historic mosques like Jama Masjid in Delhi and Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad see especially large crowds.
- Mechanism Before the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer, Muslims must pay Zakat-ul-Fitr, a small mandatory charity, usually priced against a fixed measure of wheat. It helps the poor join the celebrations.
- Traditional Food Sevaiyan, a sweet vermicelli pudding also called sheer khurma, is the classic Eid-ul-Fitr dish across Indian Muslim households. Eidi, small cash gifts from elders to children, is another well-loved tradition.
- Mechanism On Eid-ul-Adha, families who can afford it perform Qurbani, an animal sacrifice. The meat is traditionally split into three equal parts: one for the family, one for relatives and friends, and one for the poor.
- Moon Sighting India has its own regional moon-sighting bodies, such as the Markazi Chand Committee in Lucknow and the Imarat-e-Shariah Hind in New Delhi. Because sighting reports can differ by region, some states occasionally celebrate a day apart from others.
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3. By the Numbers
- Data Per the 2011 Census, India’s last religion-wise count, Muslims made up 14.2% of the population, about 17.2 crore people. This was the highest share recorded between 1951 and 2011.
- Jama Masjid Jama Masjid in Delhi was built between 1650 and 1656 under Emperor Shah Jahan, using about 5,000 workers. Its courtyard can hold roughly 25,000 worshippers.
- Mecca Masjid Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, built between 1614 and 1694 under Qutb Shahi rule, can accommodate about 10,000 worshippers in its prayer hall.
- In practice Every year, India’s President and Prime Minister issue public Eid greetings, usually invoking themes of peace, brotherhood, and communal harmony.
- Takeaway Because Eid dates depend on moon sighting, the same festival can sometimes fall a day apart in different Indian states, even though the underlying Hijri date is the same.
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