Patna: While the rest of India spent Friday evening looking for the crescent moon on the horizon, Nalanda’s Barakar village had a different story to tell. In a tradition that sets this small village in Bihar off the national calendar, residents of Barakar celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr 24 hours earlier, on Friday, which coincides not with the sighting of the Indian moon but with Saudi Arabia’s.For the villagers here, the “Eid ka Chand” is no longer something they wait to see with their own eyes from the rooftops. Instead, it appears virtually on the screen of their smartphone.Barakar, located in Silao block of Nalanda district, has deep connections with the Middle East. Almost every household has at least one member working in Saudi Arabia. This migration has not only brought economic prosperity but has also given a new shape to their religious and cultural times.Ali Khan, a resident of Barakar village, said this change is not accidental but a conscious step towards global unity. “We believe that Eid should be celebrated on the same day across the world,” he said.He said this practice started in the village about 15 years ago when smartphones and technology became an essential part of daily life. With high-speed internet reaching rural areas of Bihar, the geographical distance between Patna and Riyadh has effectively disappeared.Khan said, “Many of our relatives live in Saudi Arabia and we believe that when one of them has seen the moon, the rest should believe what they say and celebrate Eid on the same day.” While neighboring villages were celebrating the last fast of Ramzan, Barakar’s Eidgah was filled with people wearing new kurta-pajama offering Eid prayers.“Technology and the Internet have played a major role in connecting everyone across the globe and making the world a smaller place,” Khan said.While a significant section follows the Saudi calendar, others continue to follow the Indian tradition, often resulting in two-day celebrations in the same village.Khan said his relatives have not been directly affected by the conflict in West Asia and the ongoing war-like situation has not dampened the spirit and celebration of Eid. However, he said that while praying he remembered all those affected by the war and prayed for peace and improvement in the situation.