To avoid festival gridlock, Maharashtra moves Eid-e-Milad holiday in Mumbai to Sept 8

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The Maharashtra government has changed the date of the public holiday for Eid-e-Milad in Mumbai and its suburban districts, shifting it from September 5 (Friday) to September 8 (Monday). The decision was taken in view of the large-scale Ganesh ‘visarjan’ celebrations on Anant Chaturdashi, which falls on September 6.

The announcement was made through a circular issued by the state’s general administration department (GAD). Officials explained that keeping the holiday on September 5, a day before Ganesh immersion, could have created challenges in crowd and traffic management as both processions would have closely overlapped.

To avoid this, the government held consultations, and Muslim community leaders agreed to voluntarily shift the traditional Eid-e-Milad procession to September 8.

Following this, the government revised the holiday date. As a result, all government offices, schools, and colleges in Mumbai and its suburbs will remain open on September 5. Instead, they will observe a holiday on September 8. The government clarified that this change applies only to Mumbai and surrounding suburban districts. In the rest of Maharashtra, the Eid holiday will continue to be observed on September 5 as originally announced.

The official notification also urged people to take note of the adjustment to avoid confusion. “This decision ensures that both festivals, Anant Chaturdashi and Eid-e-Milad, can be celebrated smoothly, with mutual respect and without crowding on the city’s busy streets,” the circular said.

Mumbai will now witness two grand processions in September. The Ganesh ‘visarjan’ will take place on September 6, when lakhs of devotees take idols for immersion, while the Eid-e-Milad ‘juloos’ will be held on September 8.