Ramadan Moon Sighting 2026 India: City-wise moonrise timings for Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and More

Ramadan Moon Sighting 2026 India: Every year, there arrives an evening when rooftops, terraces, minarets and open fields quietly transform into observatories. Conversations soften, necks tilt westward, and anticipation thickens like dusk itself. That evening has come again. The Ramadan crescent — slender, shy and fleeting — has been sighted in parts of the Gulf, setting off a ripple of devotion across continents. For believers, it is not merely astronomy but emotion; not just a moon but a messenger announcing restraint, reflection and renewal. The sighting determines when kitchens shift to pre-dawn meals, mosques lengthen their prayers, and charity finds new urgency. And this year, as confirmation arrived from Saudi authorities, millions in India found themselves watching the same sky, waiting for their own moment of celestial affirmation.

The Ramadan crescent was officially sighted on Tuesday evening, confirming the start of the holy month on 18 February 2026 in Gulf nations. The announcement was verified by the kingdom’s Supreme Court, according to Saudi Gazette reports. With this declaration, Muslims across Gulf countries began their first fast on Wednesday.

This early confirmation is typical. Because of geographic positioning and atmospheric clarity, western regions of Asia often spot the crescent earlier than South Asia, setting the rhythm for neighbouring regions to follow.

Ramadan Moon Sighting 2026 India: India awaits its own sighting tonight

In India, the sky will decide. Observers expect the moon to appear between roughly 6:15 pm and 6:45 pm IST on 18 February, shortly after sunset. Religious bodies, local committees and families will scan the western horizon during this brief visibility window.

If the crescent is spotted, fasting will commence on Thursday, 19 February. If not, the month of Sha’ban will complete thirty days and Ramadan will begin on Friday, 20 February instead. That single sliver of light determines the calendar of millions.

City-wise Ramadan moon sighting timings in India (18 February 2026)

New Delhi: 6:18 pm – 6:42 pm

Gurugram: 6:19 pm – 6:43 pm

Chandigarh: 6:20 pm – 6:44 pm

Jaipur: 6:25 pm – 6:48 pm

Lucknow: 6:07 pm – 6:30 pm

Varanasi: 6:02 pm – 6:25 pm

Mumbai: 6:45 pm – 7:10 pm

Ahmedabad: 6:40 pm – 7:05 pm

Bengaluru: 6:35 pm – 7:00 pm

Hyderabad: 6:25 pm – 6:50 pm

Chennai: 6:10 pm – 6:35 pm

Thiruvananthapuram: 6:22 pm – 6:47 pm

Kolkata: 5:50 pm – 6:15 pm

Bhubaneswar: 5:55 pm – 6:20 pm

Bhopal: 6:30 pm – 6:55 pm

Raipur: 6:15 pm – 6:40 pm

How to spot the Ramadan crescent

Astronomy enthusiasts and clerics agree on a few practical tips:

Fun fact: The Ramadan crescent is often only about one percent illuminated, making it one of the faintest routinely observed lunar phases.

Why the start date differs across countries

Ramadan does not begin everywhere simultaneously because it follows the Hijri lunar calendar, which depends strictly on physical moon sighting rather than astronomical calculation alone. Since the moon sets at different times across longitudes, nations to the west usually witness it earlier. That is why Gulf countries frequently begin fasting a day before India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

What Ramadan signifies beyond fasting

Ramadan — also spelled Ramzan or Ramazan — is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is regarded as a period of heightened spirituality. From dawn until sunset, practising Muslims abstain from food, drink and other worldly indulgences. But the essence lies deeper: discipline, compassion and gratitude. Nights are marked by extended prayers, communal meals and acts of charity, reinforcing social bonds as much as faith.

The month concludes with Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, one of Islam’s most significant celebrations.

Saudi Arabia Day-1 prayer schedule

According to humanitarian organisation Islamic Relief, prayer timings for 18 February (AST, UTC+3) were:

These daily prayer intervals structure the rhythm of Ramadan life, determining fasting hours and worship routines.

Whether glimpsed from a desert skyline or a crowded Indian balcony, the Ramadan moon remains one of the world’s most unifying sights. It is astronomy meeting ancestry, science meeting sentiment. And tonight, as India looks westward, millions will once again share the same hopeful ritual: searching the twilight for a silver whisper that signals the beginning of a sacred month.