Holi 2025 on a Ramadan Friday: Mosques in UP, Delhi alter ‘Jumma Namaz’ timings – find details here

Holi 2025 on a Ramadan Friday: Several mosques in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi have decided to adjust the timing of Friday prayers to accommodate Holi celebrations, which coincide with March 14. This will be the second Friday of Ramadan, Islam's holy month of fasting.

“Holi and the second Jumma of Ramadan fall on March 14. In this connection, the Islamic Centre of India has extended the timings for offering prayers. Similarly, our Hindu brothers have adjusted the timings for Holi processions,” Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, head cleric of Lucknow Eidgah, told news agency ANI.

Elsewhere in Uttar Pradesh, too, the Friday prayer timings have been adjusted.

Sambhal in UP tense

In Sambhal, the president of Shahi Jama Masjid, Zafar Ali announced that Friday prayers on March 14 will be held at 2.30 pm due to Holi celebrations.

Sambhal town in Uttar Pradesh has been tense after riots broke out on November 24 last year following a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Four people were killed, and several, including police personnel, were injured in the clashes.

A senior police official said on March 7 that Hindus would play Holi till 2.30 pm on March 14 while Muslims would offer Jumma namaz after 2.30 pm in the city, adding that seven companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed ahead of the festival.

The new directive came after a circle officer (CO) started a row by saying that Holi is a festival that occurs once a year, whereas Jumma Namaz takes place 52 times a year. He said anyone uncomfortable with Holi's colours should stay indoors on that day. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had backed the cop.

Ramadan 2025 began on March 2

Muslims across the world observe dawn-to-dusk fasting for 30 days during Ramadan, which began in India on March 2. March 14 is the second Friday of the month. Muslims gather for congregational prayers on Friday afternoons called the 'Jumma Namaz'. Prayers in Islam have more spiritual significance during Ramadan.

Usually, Friday prayers are over by 2.30 pm across India.

A prominent cleric in Ayodhya said Friday prayers in all mosques will be offered after 2 p.m. in view of Holi celebrations this week. In Bareilly, the chief of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, appealed to imams of all mosques to hold Friday prayers around 2:30 p.m. In Aligarh, Shahar Mufti Khalid Hameed issued a similar advisory regarding the Friday prayers.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad, who represents Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh (UP) which also covers Ayodhya, had alleged that the BJP leaders want to "complicate" the festival by raising new issues to divert public attention from the issue of unemployment and other "big problems" facing the country.

“I greet people of the country on Holi and appeal to them to celebrate this festival together according to tradition, just as it was celebrated earlier. Tranquility will prevail in the country,” Prasad told news agency PTI.

Timings changed in Haridwar

The Muslim community in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, have also changed the time for holding Friday prayers by an hour to maintain"social harmony and brotherhood," a cleric said on Wednesday. The decision comes in the wake of certain politicians’ remarks sparking a controversy over the clash of Holi and Jumma prayers.

Some mosques in Delhi have announced adjustments, too. “The time of Jumma Khutba (sermon before namaz) is changed to 2:30 pm on account of Holi on March 14. The above time change is only for coming Jumma,” Imam of Inayati Masjid in Delhi was quoted by New Indian Express as saying.