NEW DELHI: Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, will begin from Thursday with the new moon sighted this evening in many parts of the country.After a meeting of the new moon sighting committee here, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Fatehpuri mosque, Maulana Mufti Mukkaram Ahmed, announced that Ramadan will begin tomorrow.The Imarat-e-Sharaiyah Hind, in its announcement, said that though the moon was not sighted in Delhi, which was overcast, but it has been sighted in other places, including Chennai, Bhopal, Surat and in places in states of Assam and Orissa.Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims, who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset.Muslims wake up early morning for the pre-dawn 'sehri' meal renouncing food and water during the day before breaking their fasts in the evening. The sumptuous evening meals are known as 'iftaars'.The month-long fasting will culminate in the Id-ul-Fitr celebrations next month.As Islam follows a lunar calendar, the holy month begins every year about 11 days earlier and its commencement is traditionally determined by the appearance of the new moon.
, the holy month of Islam, is scheduled to begin today in India. The new moon, which marks the beginning of Ramadan, was observed accross the nation.

Maulana Mufti Mukkaram Ahmed, Shahi  of Delhi's , announced that Ramadan would begin from today. The new moon was observed in states including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

The new moon could not be observed in Delhi and Mumbai as the sky was covered by clouds but it was seen nearby.

Ramadan is observed by fasting from sunrise to sunset, and is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It lasts till  or the next new moon.

Some other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, started Ramadan yesterday.