Ramzan, the Islamic holy month which is observed by fasting and prayers has begun. Muslims believe that during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar Allah revealed the first verses of Quran, the holy book to Islam to Prophet Muhammad. Followers of Islam fast from dawn till dusk and indulge in charity. Ramazan started on May 17 and will continue for the next 30 days. They believe the time-period brings them closer to Allah. Believers refrain from drinking alcohol, sexual activities and immoral speech during the fasting period.

The fasting hours are the longest this year in the past three decades, which means the time period for which one fast increases as sunsets are delayed due to the onset of summer. Before sunrise, Muslims eat a meal called Sehri and another meal after sunset known as Iftar. Strict time-schedules are followed for the consumption of these meals as it is considered auspicious. Know the updated Sehri & Iftar schedule for May 25 below.

In Mumbai Sehri ends at 4:40 am and Iftar starts at 7:10 pm, while for those in Delhi, Sehri ends at 3:55 am and Iftar begins at 7:11 pm. In Bhopal, Sehri beings at 4:11 am and Iftar begins at 6:59 pm. Sehri ends at 3:43 am and Iftar starts at 7:32 pm in Srinagar. People residing in cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, can check the Sehri and Iftar timings here.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, the other being faith, prayer, charity and making the pilgrimage to Makkah – the Holy City. Pregnant women, children, elderly, those travelling or ill do not fast during Ramzan. As the Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles, Ramazan falls at different time and date every year. This year, Eid-ul Fitr is likely to be observed on June 15 or June 16.

Note: The above-mentioned timings are according to Sunni Hanafi School’s thought. Stay tuned with us latest timing updates for Iftar & Sehri during Ramzan 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2018 08:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).