Liquor shops, bars and pubs across India will stay shut on Friday, 2 October, as the country marks Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
The day is one of three nationwide dry days observed every year.
Retail liquor outlets will not sell alcohol, and licensed bars, pubs and restaurants are barred from serving it, according to dry day calendars published for 2026.
Excise departments in states and Union Territories issue the notifications, and the closure covers major cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Gandhi Jayanti is one of only three dates, along with Republic Day on 26 January and Independence Day on 15 August, on which a dry day applies across the country. Every other dry day is set by individual states, which is why the number differs from place to place.
Most states observe roughly 21 to 26 dry days in a year, and metros can reach about 28 once festivals and election-related bans are counted, according to published 2026 listings.
What Is A Dry Day?
A dry day is a date on which the sale of alcohol is banned by law. Liquor shops remain closed, and bars, pubs and restaurants cannot serve drinks, as their liquor licences are suspended for that date.
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Dry days are usually tied to national holidays, religious festivals and the birth anniversaries of national figures. They are also imposed around elections, when the law bars liquor sales for 48 hours before polling ends and again on counting day.
The rules are set by state excise policy, so the scope varies. In some jurisdictions the restriction applies only to retail shops, while in others bars and hotels are covered too. Some states, including Gujarat and Bihar, ban alcohol sales throughout the year.
Goa’s excise department has in the past extended the Gandhi Jayanti closure to both packaged-bottle outlets and on-site consumption premises. Consumers should check their own state’s excise notification for local rules.
More dry days are coming up this month. Listings for major cities show 7 October, Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti and 20 October, Dussehra as dry days. Delhi-NCR is also listed as dry on Diwali, 8 November.
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