‘Mahaparinirvan Diwas’ holiday in Maharashtra: Are schools, banks closed today?
Mahaparinirvan Diwas is observed annually on December 6, honours Dr BR Ambedkar who was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution.
The Maharashtra government has declared a local holiday on Friday to observe the death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr BR Ambedkar, widely known as Mahaparinirvan Diwas across the country. This day, observed annually on December 6, honours Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, affectionately called Babasaheb Ambedkar, who was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution.
On Thursday, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde paid homage by garlanding Ambedkar's statue in Thane's Court Naka area. The 69th Mahaparinirvan Diwas will also be commemorated at Prerna Sthal in the Parliament House Complex. Organised by the Dr Ambedkar Foundation under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, the event will pay tribute to Ambedkar, a statement said.
The commemoration event will begin in the morning with floral tributes from Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, and other dignitaries.
Each year, thousands of people from across Maharashtra travel to Mumbai to pay their respects to Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar's Shivaji Park, where he was cremated. To manage the increased passenger traffic, special trains are being arranged by the Railways.
Ambedkar, a member of the seven-person committee that drafted the Indian Constitution, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, in 1990. He passed away on December 6, 1956, at his residence in Delhi.
‘Mahaparinirvan Diwas’ holiday: What's closed and what's open?
- State and semi-government offices in Mumbai and its suburbs will remain closed.
- Alcohol sales are prohibited as liquor shops will remain closed as it has been designated a dry day.
- Public and private banks will operate as usual since the Reserve Bank of India's holiday calendar does not list December 6 as a bank holiday in Mumbai.
- The stock exchanges BSE and NSE have not issued a holiday notice, so it is uncertain whether trading will be halted on December 6.
- Schools in Mumbai will be closed, as confirmed by a notice from the Education Department's Cluster Resource Center (CRC).
- A letter from the deputy director of education has informed all schools and junior colleges in Mumbai that December 6 will be a holiday in honour of Babasaheb Ambedkar's Mahaparinirvan Diwas.
Special trains
The Central Railway has released the schedule for 14 additional trains on Mahaparinirvan Diwas. These trains, originating from Aurangabad, Adilabad, Nagpur, and Sholapur, are set to arrive at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on December 6.
“For Mahaparinirvan Diwas, Central Railway has announced 14 additional special trains this year as in previous years. These trains will arrive at stations in the Mumbai area, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, from various locations in Maharashtra such as Aurangabad and Nagpur, on the morning of December 6,” Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Central Railway told ANI.
He further said that 12 additional suburban trains—six each on the main line and the harbour line—will run on the nights of December 5 and 6 to manage the increased passenger flow.
To enhance security, around 300 additional Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed. "Of these, 120 RPF staff are assigned to Dadar station, 60 to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and an equal number to Kalyan and Thane. Along with this, over 300 additional staff have been deployed by the Government Railway police (GRP). Railway employees have also set up 'May I Help You' booths at various stations to assist passengers," Nila added.
Traffic restrictions in Mumbai
Many people are expected to gather at Chaityabhoomi in Shivaji Park, Mumbai, to pay their respects to Ambedkar, who was cremated there.
To manage the crowd for Mahaparinirvan Diwas, the traffic police have imposed restrictions on vehicular movement in central Mumbai from December 5 to 7.
Road closures and diversions: Veer Savarkar Road will remain closed to traffic from Siddhivinayak Temple Junction to Hinduja Hospital. Local residents can access the area by taking a left turn from Yes Bank Junction and proceeding through Pandurang Naik Road towards Raja Badhe Chowk.
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