Muharram 2018 Date: State of Maharashtra Declares Government Holiday Today, The Day of Mourning is Tomorrow

Mumbai, September 20: The government of Maharashtra declared a public holiday for Muharram but the confusion prevails as the actual day of mourning is tomorrow ie September 21. The holiday was pre-announced so there are no changes made to it, but the Muslim community can attend their work today and take casual leave or earned leave on Friday. Many banks and educational institutions are closed for the day in the state. But in the rest of the country, Friday will be a bank holiday. Muharram 2018 Mumbai Traffic Advisory: Check Route Diversions Listed by Police For Procession Today. 

Since schools and colleges will be working tomorrow on the actual day of the mourning, it has allowed Muslim students to take a compensatory off the day. Friday is Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram(martyrdom day of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Imam Hussain). BMC, Samajwadi Party corporator Rais Shaikh requested the corporation to give a holiday to Muslim employees in the organisation on Friday. On Thursday, about 1.02 lakh municipal workers have a holiday.

According to TOI, Congress MLA Amin Patel, along with representatives of the Jama Masjid Trust near Crawford Market approached Sitaram Kunte, the additional chief secretary regarding the holiday confusion. Patel informed, "After we told Kunte that Muslim employees would be inconvenienced if they are not allowed a holiday on Friday, he said the employees who wanted holiday on Friday could use their CL or EL and stay absent, while the official holiday is on Thursday.

For the government schools, the holiday will be on Friday. But some colleges in the city are shut today. Muslim students, however, are allowed to take their off on Friday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 20, 2018 09:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).