Eid Holiday Shifted to Saturday as Moon Eludes Sighting

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday officially declared Saturday, March 21, as a general holiday on the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr, following confirmation that the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted anywhere in the country.

Acting on inputs from the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board and in line with traditional moon-sighting practices, the government issued orders rescheduling the holiday from Friday, March 20, to Saturday. The decision was formalised through a Government Order (G.O. Rt. No. 612) issued by the General Administration Department.

Earlier, March 20 had been notified as a holiday in the official calendar. However, with the central moon-sighting committee reporting no visibility of the crescent on Thursday evening, it was confirmed that Friday would mark the 30th day of Ramzan, pushing Id celebrations to the following day.

Id-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the holy month of fasting, will thus be celebrated across Andhra Pradesh and the rest of India on Saturday. The development also underscores the continuing divergence in festival dates globally, as Saudi Arabia and several Gulf nations will observe Eid on Friday after confirming the moon sighting there.

Officials said all government offices, institutions, and public bodies across the state will remain closed on Saturday in observance of the festival.