Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Government has declared a public holiday on Tuesday, May 3, to mark Eid-Ul-Fitr. Government offices and educational institutions will remain shut.
Monday was declared a holiday earlier itself, expecting Eid-ulFitr to fall on this day. However, the crescent moon denoting the start of the Shawwal month in the lunar Islamic calendar or the Hijri calendar was not sighted in Kerala, forcing the faithful and the government to mark the Eid a day later.
Eid-ul-Fitr, a prime festivals for Muslims, falls on the first day of Shawwal, which is the 10 month of the Islamic calendar. It marks the culmination of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fast (roza) by the devout in the month of Ramadan every year.
The exact day of Eid celebration may vary across the world as it is based on the moon sighting. Eid-ul-Fitr is known as Cheriya Perunnal among the Muslim community in Kerala.