The Id-ul-Fitr festival in 2026 is unfolding across the world in contrasting circumstances, shaped by both celebrations and conflicts. In India, the festival brings crowds to mosques, family gatherings and markets filled with last-minute shoppers. Elsewhere, particularly in conflict-affected regions, celebrations are more subdued, shaped by displacement, shortages and uncertainty. This photo story depicts how Id is being observed globally: from moments of joy and tradition to quieter, more subdued celebrations. Interestingly, the festival unfolds not just in different ways, but also on different days, as communities follow their own moon sightings, which vary across regions.
In 2026, several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman, observed Id on March 20. In India, parts of Kerala celebrated it on the same day, while the rest of the country, along with Pakistan and Bangladesh, celebrated on March 21 following local moon sightings.
These photographs capture the contrasts in how Id is observed across the globe.
Photo:
PTI
Muslim women offer Id-ul-Fitr prayers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
A mosque lights up ahead of Id-ul-Fitr at Chinna Waltair in Visakhapatnam, marking the end of Ramadan, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on March 20, 2026.
Photo:
Siddhant Thakur
Crowds throng the Charminar market area as people shop for clothes and accessories on the eve of Id in Hyderabad, Telangana, on March 20, 2026.
Photo:
Emmanual Yogini
Members of the Muslim community offer namaz on the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr at the YMCA Ground in Mumbai on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
Imran Nissar
People shop at a market ahead of Id-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Srinagar on March 20, 2026.
Photo:
PTI
Members of the Muslim community offer Id-ul-Fitr prayers along the Jaipur–Delhi Highway, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
Imran Nissar
Members of the Muslim community offer Id-ul-Fitr prayers at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
AP
Muslim girls display their hands adorned with traditional henna as they celebrate Id-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
AP
Children celebrate with balloons after attending Id-ul-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
AP
Muslims offer Id-ul-Fitr prayers at the Baitul Mukarram Mosque, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
Indonesia’s Presidential Palace via AFP
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (right) distributes aid to flood victims after Id-ul-Fitr prayers at the Darussalam Mosque, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia, March 21, 2026.
Photo:
AFP
Muslim devotees share a meal during Id-ul-Fitr celebrations at a mosque, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Beijing, China, on March 21, 2026.
Photo:
AP
Trucks and police vehicles block a street as Muslims gather for Id-ul-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 20, 2026.
Photo:
Reuters
Muslim worshippers attend Id-ul-Fitr prayers outside a mosque on a frosty morning, marking the end of Ramadan, in Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, March 20, 2026.
Photo:
AFP
Muslim worshippers gather for Id-ul-Fitr prayers at Al-Saraya Square, in Gaza City, on March 20, 2026. A day earlier, Israeli airstrikes killed four people, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency, while the Israeli military said it had eliminated four militants.
Photo:
AP
Children gather around performers during an event where volunteers prepared food parcels and Id sweets for displaced families at a public university turned shelter, following Israeli airstrikes, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 20, 2026.
Photo:
AFP
A Palestinian woman visits the graves of relatives at Al-Saraya Cemetery, in Gaza City, on March 20, 2026, as Muslims celebrate Id-ul-Fitr. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported four deaths in Israeli airstrikes a day earlier, while the Israeli military said it had eliminated four militants.
Photo:
Reuters
Palestinians visit a grave at a cemetery during Id-ul-Fitr, in Gaza City, on March 20, 2026.
Published – March 21, 2026 02:49 pm IST
