Muharram 2021: When is Ashura and moon sighting in India? When will Islamic New Year begin?

New Delhi, Aug 09: Muharram 2021 marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year and is considered the second holiest month after Ramzan in Islamic calendar. This year, the Islamic new year, also know as the Hijri new year will fall in the second week of August.

It's held as one of the four most sacred months, and is often regarded as the holiest of all 12. The word means "forbidden".

The dates differ each year as the Islamic and Gregorian calendars are not in sync. This happens because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, while the Gregorian calendar follows the rising and setting of the sun.

Muslims of shia sect, in black attire, participate in the gatherings in which the sacrifices of Hussein and his companions are commemorated. Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was martyred in 680 AD by a group of 72 men, women and children in the harsh terrain of Karbala.

Islamic New Year begins with the sighting of the new moon at sunset. This occurs on the final day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic Calendar.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and other regions in the Middle East will determine the date for Muharram, reported Hindustan Times.