Holi, Muharram and Gandhi Jayanti remain dry days in Maharashtra; government issues clarification

Holi, Muharram and Gandhi Jayanti will continue to be observed as dry days in Maharashtra, the state government has clarified, refuting a Pune Mirror report that had claimed otherwise. The Pune Mirror report, which is now inactive, had stated that the state government allowed liquor shops to remain open on these occasions.

Quoting officials, the report had claimed that the decision was taken to “reduce the rise in illegal and black-market liquor sales that often surge during dry days associated with festivals.”

Soon after the report surfaced, the Maharashtra excise department issued an official clarification denying the claims and reaffirming that liquor sale restrictions on these days remain unchanged.


In 2026, there are approximately 28 designated dry days, including Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15), and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), along with several major religious festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Mahashivratri.

Dry days in January 2026

• January 14 (Wednesday): Makar Sankranti
  
  
• January 13–16 (Tuesday–Friday): Maharashtra municipal elections (only in Maharashtra)
  
  
• January 26 (Monday): Republic Day
  
  
• January 30 (Friday): Martyrs’ Day
  
  

Dry days in February 2026

• February 15 (Sunday): Mahashivratri
  
  
• February 19 (Thursday): Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti (only in Maharashtra)
  
  
• February 23 (Monday): Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti
  
  

Dry days in March 2026

• March 4 (Wednesday): Holi
  
  
• March 21 (Friday): Eid ul-Fitr
  
  
• March 23 (Monday): Shaheed Diwas (only in Maharashtra)
  
  
• March 26 (Thursday): Ram Navami
  
  
• March 31 (Tuesday): Mahavir Jayanti
  
  

Dry days in April 2026

• April 3 (Friday): Good Friday
  
  
• April 10 (Friday): Mahavir Jayanti
  
  
• April 14 (Tuesday): Ambedkar Jayanti
  
  

Dry days in May 2026

• May 1 (Friday): Maharashtra Day (only in Maharashtra)
  
  
• May 1 (Friday): Buddha Purnima
  
  
• May 27 (Wednesday): Eid al-Adha (Bakrid)
  
  

Dry days in July 2026

• July 25 (Saturday): Ashadi Ekadashi
  
  
• July 29 (Wednesday): Guru Purnima
  
  

Dry days in August 2026

• August 15 (Saturday): Independence Day
  
  
• August 25 (Tuesday): Eid-e-Milad
  
  

Dry days in September 2026

• September 4 (Friday): Janmashtami
  
  
• September 14 (Monday): Ganesh Chaturthi (only in Maharashtra and Karnataka)
  
  
• September 25 (Friday): Anant Chaturdashi (only in Maharashtra)
  
  

Dry days in October 2026

• October 2 (Friday): Gandhi Jayanti
  
  
• October 7 (Wednesday): Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti
  
  
• October 20 (Tuesday): Dussehra
  
  

Dry days in November 2026

• November 5 (Thursday): Kartiki Ekadashi
  
  
• November 8 (Sunday): Diwali (only in Delhi-NCR)
  
  
• November 24 (Tuesday): Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Diwas
  
  
• November 24 (Tuesday): Guru Nanak Jayanti
  
  

Dry days in December 2026

• December 25 (Friday): Christmas