Why the Ministry of Religious Affairs Is Holding the Isbat Session at Hotel Borobudur This Afternoon
The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) held the isbat session to determine 1 Ramadan 2026, or 1447 Hijriah, at Hotel Borobudur in Central Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon (17 February), commencing at 16:30 Western Indonesian Time (WIB). Unlike previous years, this year's isbat session was held at a hotel rather than the Kemenag auditorium.
The Kemenag Bureau of Public Relations and Communications stated that the session was originally planned for the Haji Mohammad Rasjidi Auditorium at the Kemenag offices in Thamrin, Central Jakarta, but was subsequently relocated to Hotel Borobudur.
The Bureau explained that the isbat session was moved to Hotel Borobudur to accommodate capacity requirements, citing a letter from the Director of Islamic Religious Affairs at the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance (Ditjen Bimas Islam) within Kemenag.
"Referring to the letter from the Director of Islamic Religious Affairs at the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance, Kemenag, in order to accommodate room capacity, the isbat session for the beginning of Ramadan 1447 H/2026 M has been relocated from the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium at the Kemenag Building on Jl. MH Thamrin to Hotel Borobudur, Central Jakarta," the Bureau of Public Relations and Communications wrote.
The session was scheduled to begin at 16:30 WIB with a seminar on the position of the hilal (crescent moon). The isbat session proper was then set to commence at 18:30 WIB.
The government was to announce the results of the isbat session through a press conference, with the announcement planned for 19:05 WIB.
Hilal observation was conducted at various locations across Indonesia, from Aceh to Papua, involving regional teams and volunteer hilal observers.
To supplement calculation data, Kemenag carried out hilal observation (rukyatul hilal) at 96 locations spread across Indonesia. The observations were conducted by Kemenag provincial offices and district/city Kemenag offices, in cooperation with Religious Courts, Islamic organisations, and other relevant institutions.
The Kemenag Bureau of Public Relations and Communications stated that the session was originally planned for the Haji Mohammad Rasjidi Auditorium at the Kemenag offices in Thamrin, Central Jakarta, but was subsequently relocated to Hotel Borobudur.
The Bureau explained that the isbat session was moved to Hotel Borobudur to accommodate capacity requirements, citing a letter from the Director of Islamic Religious Affairs at the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance (Ditjen Bimas Islam) within Kemenag.
"Referring to the letter from the Director of Islamic Religious Affairs at the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance, Kemenag, in order to accommodate room capacity, the isbat session for the beginning of Ramadan 1447 H/2026 M has been relocated from the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium at the Kemenag Building on Jl. MH Thamrin to Hotel Borobudur, Central Jakarta," the Bureau of Public Relations and Communications wrote.
The session was scheduled to begin at 16:30 WIB with a seminar on the position of the hilal (crescent moon). The isbat session proper was then set to commence at 18:30 WIB.
The government was to announce the results of the isbat session through a press conference, with the announcement planned for 19:05 WIB.
Hilal observation was conducted at various locations across Indonesia, from Aceh to Papua, involving regional teams and volunteer hilal observers.
To supplement calculation data, Kemenag carried out hilal observation (rukyatul hilal) at 96 locations spread across Indonesia. The observations were conducted by Kemenag provincial offices and district/city Kemenag offices, in cooperation with Religious Courts, Islamic organisations, and other relevant institutions.