Jakarta, NU Online
The government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs said that the 1st day of Dzulhijjah 1434 H would fall on Sunday, 6 October 2013 and therefore Idul Adha (feast of sacrifice) would fall on 15 October 2013.<>

The decision was agreed upon at the Itsbat meeting aimed at determining the fisrt day of Dhulhijjah 1434 H, held by the Ministry of Religious Affairs here on Saturday (5/10) following after receiving reports of several points that could see hilal (new moon) in Indonesia.

The itsbat meeting was led by the Ministry's Director General for Guidance of Islamic Community Abdul Djamil. He said that the determination of pilgrimage month was based on the altitude of hilal that is more than two degrees, the angle of elongation which is than three degrees, and the age of hilal which is more than eight hours, as well as reports of rukyat team that managed to see the new moon.

" It is decided the first day of Dzulhijah falls on Sunday, 6 October 2013 and Idul Adha falls on Tuesday, 15 October 2013," he said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has announced that the Muslim celebration of Idul Adha will be observed on Tuesday Oct. 15.

Experts gathered to sight the moon in order to ascertain the exact date of the Idul Adha celebration as the Islamic calendar is lunar-based.

In the lunar Islamic calendar, Idul Adha falls on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijjah.

The Idul Adha celebration marks the end of hajj, a religious pilgrimage undertaken by millions of Muslims each year.

The day of Arafat, labeled the most important day of the pilgrimage, will land on Oct. 14, according to Saudi Arabia’s announcement.

Reporting by Mahbib Khoiron; Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq