Ramadan falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Hijri Samwat. Muslims around the world consider this month holy and sacred and believe that the holy Quran was revealed to prophet Muhammad during this month. The ninth month of the lunar calendar, therefore, is a month of celebrations, fasting and worship.

During this month, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during the daytime since observing ‘Roja’ (fast) is one of the five pillars of Islam with the other four being ‘Shahadah’, the declaration of faith; ‘Zakat’, or almsgiving; ‘Salat’, the five daily prayers; and the ‘Hajj’, the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Ramadan begins and ends with the movement of the crescent moon. This year April 4 marked the first day of Ramadan for Muslims in Nepal and devotees observed the first Jumma on Friday, April 8.

Since Ramadan follows the lunar cycle, the first day of the holy month may differ from place to place the world over.

The holy book of Islam, the Quran, makes fasting obligatory for every Muslim adult with exceptions for the sick, old, critically ill, and menstruating women.

Fasting also called ‘Sawm’ in Arabic literally means to stop or move away or discontinue something.

Although the first meal before sunrise, suhoor, is eaten in the presence of immediate family members, iftar, the evening meal is a communal affair: friends and family members get together to break the day’s fast, many even have their meals at the mosque.

Here are some photos of devotees observing ‘Jumma’ in Kathmandu taken by Post’s Sanjog Manandhar.

(Abdullah Miya contributed reporting.)