Bhatkal: As the Shawwal crescent moon was not sighted anywhere on Thursday evening, the first day of Eid Al Fitr will fall on 22nd April, Saturday, announced Bhatkal Qazis.

The Qazis of Bhatkal Maulana Khwaja Moinuddin Akrami Madani and Maulana Abdul Noor Fakardey Nadvi have confirmed that the Shawwal crescent was not sighted anywhere on Thursday evening, which means Friday will be 30th Ramadan and Saturday will mark 1st of Shawwal i.e first day of Eid Al Fitr.

The people in coastal Karnataka kept an eye out for the crescent moon after Magrib prayers, but there was no response of sighting from any side.

On the other side, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Qazis too announced that Friday will be the last day of Ramadan in their respective regions.

In Kerala too, crescent moon was not sighted, which means Muslims there too will observe 30th Ramadan on Friday and Eid Al Fitr on Saturday, 22nd April.

If moon is sighted on Friday in other parts of India, the entire country will be celebrating Eid on Saturday.

Eid Al Fitr means "the feast of breaking the fast." The fast, in this instance, is Ramadan, which recalls the revealing of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad and requires Muslims to fast from sunrise to sundown for a month.

Eid Al Fitr features two to three days of celebrations that include special morning prayers. People greet each other with "Eid Mubarak," meaning "Blessed Eid" and with formal embraces. Sweet dishes are prepared at home and gifts are given to children and to those in need. In addition, Muslims are encouraged to forgive and seek forgiveness. Practices vary from country to country.

Eid Al Fitr, as it follows the fasting of Ramadan, is also seen as a spiritual celebration of Allah's provision of strength and endurance.

Amid the reflection and rejoicing, Eid Al Fitr is a time for charity, known as Fitra. Eid is meant to be a time of joy and blessing for the entire Muslim community and a time for distributing one's wealth. Charity to the poor is a highly emphasized value in Islam. The Quran says, "Believe in Allah and his messenger, and give charity out of the (substance) that Allah has made you heirs of. For those of you who believe and give charity - for them is a great reward."