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Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka have revised the Mahavir Jayanti holiday to March 30, 2026, instead of March 31.
Mahavir Jayanti commemorates the birth of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of the current time cycle in Jain cosmology.Mahavir Jayanti, also known as Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak, is a major Jain festival and will be celebrated today, 31 March 2026. In observance of the festival, schools, banks, post offices, and government offices are expected to remain closed.
Being a gazetted public holiday, most schools, colleges, and government institutions will observe the day off.
Mahavir Jayanti 2026: Are schools open today?
On Mahavir Jayanti, schools in several states, including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, are expected to remain closed. According to a report by The Times of India, Indore Collector Shivam Verma has announced a public holiday in the district on Monday.
All government offices and institutions will be closed for the day and resume normal operations on Tuesday, 31 March.
Several district administrations in Madhya Pradesh have revised the Mahavir Jayanti public holiday, moving it to Monday, March 30, 2026, instead of the earlier date of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Similarly, the Karnataka government has advanced the holiday by a day. According to an official notification issued on Thursday, Mahavir Jayanti, originally set for March 31, will now be observed on Monday, March 30.
Are banks open or closed today on Mahavir Jayanti 2026?
Banks and post offices are expected to remain closed on Mahavir Jayanti, 31 March 2026, in several major cities, including:
Bengaluru (Karnataka)
Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
Mumbai, Nagpur (Maharashtra)
Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
Hyderabad (Telangana)
Kolkata (West Bengal)
Patna (Bihar)
Ranchi (Jharkhand)
Raipur (Chhattisgarh)
Jaipur (Rajasthan)
New Delhi
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
Mahavir Jayanti is much more than a birthday celebration; it is a profound reminder of the Jain leader's life and universal philosophy.
He played a pivotal role in reviving and organising the Jain philosophical system, teaching that true victory comes from conquering one's own inner desires, ego, and senses, which earned him the title Mahavira (Great Hero) and Jina (Conqueror).
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Mausam Jha
Mausam Jha is a journalist who focuses on world affairs and politics. She provides clear, informative reporting with a good understanding of both global events and their local impact. <br><br> Her clear, accessible reporting on political and international issues makes her a trusted source of news and analysis. <br><br> For the past three years, Mausam has worked with Mint, covering national politics, IR—including elections—and global affairs.<br> Before joining her current role, she gained experience working with The Statesman, ANI, and Financial Express, where she honed her skills in political and international news. <br><br> She has consistently tracked key electoral battles, including US elections, Japan elections, policy debates, and strategic affairs, explaining how global currents, from great power competition to regional conflicts <br><br> Beyond journalism, Mausam has a deep engagement with international relations, diplomacy, war studies, terrorism, political history, and political theory. She is particularly interested in the intersection of statecraft and society on how governance, ideology, and institutions shape lived realities, and how politics shape today's world order. <br><br> An avid reader of classical literature and political thought, she constantly explores the connections between historical ideas and contemporary policy challenges.

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