New Delhi, April 25: The holy month of Ramadan has begun in all parts of the world, with Muslims around the globe being religiously duty-bound to fast from dawn to dusk. In the period, they refrain not only from consuming food items, but also from drinking water. With the onset of summer in most parts of the world, the thought of abstaining from refreshments could be nightmarish for some. But for believers, the abstinence from food and water during Ramzan could be as long as over 19 hours. Here are ten cities with the shortest fasting hours and ten with the longest gap in sehri and iftar timings.

The city with the longest fasting hours is Murmansk, located in Russia, where the sun rises at 4:07 am and sets at around 9:28 pm. The corresponding sehri and iftar timings in the city are 2:07 am and 9:30 pm. With the acutely short night-time, the Muslims in the Russian town will have to brace for a fast of 19 hours, 23 minutes. Dubai Reopens Malls, Cafes, Restaurants as UAE Eases COVID-19 Lockdown For Ramadan 2020.

Ten Cities With Longest Fasting Hours

  • Murmansk, Russia (19.13 hours)

  • Reykjavik, Iceland (18.14 hours)

  • Fairbanks, Alaska (18.03 hours)

  • Lulea, Sweden (17.56 hours)

  • Anchorage, Alaska (17.32 hours)

  • Moscow, Russia (17.17 hours)

  • Berlin, Germany (17.01 hours)

  • Stockholm, Sweden (16.59 hours)

  • Copenhagen, Denmark (16.48 hours)

  • Oslo, Norway (16.24 hours)

There are also cities where the fasting hours would last for less than 12 hours. The shortest duration of fasting would be observed in Ushuaia town of Argentia. The predawn period starts in the region at 6:40 am in the morning, whereas, the sunsets at 6:20 pm. The corresponding suhoor (sehri) and iftar timings are 6:30 am and 6:22 pm, respectively. The fasting duration, therefore, lasts for 11 hours and 52 minutes.

Ten Cities With Shortest Fasting Hours

  • Ushuaia, Argentina (11.52 hours)

  • Capetown, South Africa (12.21 hours)

  • Santiago, Chile (12.26 hours)

  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (12.39 hours)

  • Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (12.57 hours)

  • Lima, Peru (12.58 hours)

  • Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (13.06 hours)

  • Manilla, Philippines (13.49 hours)

  • Sanaa, Yemen (13.58 hours)

  • Hyderabad, India (14.00 hours)

The Ramadan festivities are dampened this year with the outbreak of novel coronavirus. The pandemic has forced most nations with Muslim populations to close down mosques and shrines in order to prevent mass congregations. Religious leaders have asked the community members to have iftar and sehri at homes, while also offering namaz indoors.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2020 01:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).