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इतिहास
The history, origin and significance of Eid al-Fitr — where it comes from, what it means, and how it changed over time.
Eid al-Fitr 2026: 20–22 March 20263 daysईद उल फ़ितर
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Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal. In 2026 it is expected around 20 March, following the sighting of the Shawwal moon. In India it is often called Meethi Eid or Chhoti Eid, distinguishing it from Eid al-Adha, and sweets are central to the day.
The day begins with a bath, new clothes and the Eid prayer (Eid namaz), held in a mosque or an open ground (Eidgah) in a large congregation. Before the prayer, zakat al-Fitr must be given — a fixed quantity of food or its value per household member — which is the mechanism that ensures the poorest can celebrate too.
The rest of the day is visiting: family, neighbours, and in many places friends of other faiths, with sheer khurma, sewaiyan and other sweets served at every house. The greeting is 'Eid Mubarak'. In India the day is also a major food occasion, and the cooking traditions vary sharply by city — Hyderabadi sheer khurma, Lucknowi kebabs and biryani, and Kerala's Malabar dishes.
Eid al-Fitr is one of the few Indian festivals with a strong tradition of interfaith visiting; in cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Lucknow, it is normal for neighbours of other religions to be invited for the meal, and the day is a public holiday across India.
Almost every large Indian festival means something different in different states. That is not a contradiction — it is the history.
Sheer khurma is at its most elaborate here, with a heavier date and nut component, and the Old City's Eid markets around Charminar are among the largest in India.
Large Eidgah congregations, with Delhi's Jama Masjid area and Lucknow's old city being the biggest. Lucknow's Awadhi cooking makes the Eid meal distinct from Delhi's.
Mohammed Ali Road and Bhendi Bazaar host the city's biggest Eid markets, with a mix of Bohri, Konkani Muslim and North Indian food traditions.
Malabar Eid cooking centres on pathiri, kanji and coastal dishes, and Kerala's Muslims observe the day with a distinct culinary tradition rather than the North Indian sweet-led form.
Kolkata's Park Circus and Metiabruz areas run big Eid congregations and markets, and Bengali Muslim households serve their own sweets alongside the standard sewaiyan.
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