Ram Navami observed today
Today, March 26, is widely observed as Ram Navami — celebrations and puja timings were listed starting at 11:48 AM and running through 10:06 AM tomorrow, and several Indian states have declared public holidays with some debate over whether to mark it on March 26 or 27 ( ).
The Reserve Bank of India’s official holiday matrix lists Ram Navami as a regional bank holiday on both March 26 and March 27, with different RBI regional offices marking either date as a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. (rbi.org.in) RBI’s calendar and multiple news outlets show banks closed on March 26 in regions including Gujarat, Karnataka, Chandigarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. (ndtv.com) Several states have March 27 listed as the banking/holiday date instead, including Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, per state-wise RBI/press schedules. (english.mathrubhumi.com) Both major Indian exchanges — the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange — declared a trading holiday on March 26 for Ram Navami, while the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) planned a partial session in the evening. (financialexpress.com) Parliament records show the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were given a holiday on March 26 for Ram Navami, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying Thursday would be a holiday and that Friday’s business would be used for government items, forcing rescheduling of some private members’ business. (indianexpress.com) Religious authorities and pundits remain split on observance rules: some follow the Udaya (sunrise) tithi that places the festival on March 26, while others prefer the madhyahna (midday) muhurat that points to observance on March 27. ( )
