Eid al-Fitr Marked in India, Nepal Amid Khamenei Mourning

Muslim communities across India, Nepal, and beyond marked Eid al-Fitr on Saturday, March 21, 2026, with prayers, family gatherings, and feasts celebrating the end of Ramadan's monthlong fast. While festivities emphasized themes of unity, charity, and brotherhood in most areas, observances in parts of India turned somber, blending grief over Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's death in recent U.S.- and Israel-linked airstrikes with calls for peace in the escalating West Asia conflict.

Eid al-Fitr, known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast, follows the sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon and prohibits fasting, encouraging gratitude through congregational prayers, almsgiving, and shared meals. In Iran, the holiday coincided with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, drawing large crowds to Tehran's Grand Musallah for prayers led by Hojjatol-Islam Haj Ali Akbari. Devotees offered Zakat al-Fitr, a required charitable donation, before dawn-to-dusk abstinence concluded.

In India, celebrations unfolded vibrantly in major cities despite underlying tensions. Thousands gathered at Delhi's Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Masjid, exchanging embraces and seviyan sweets after morning prayers. Prime...