Muharram 2025 Holiday: Confused! When Is Ashura In India, July 6 Or July 7? What Is Closed And Opened?

Muharram 2025 Holiday: There is confusion regarding the date of Ashura, the 10th Muharram, in India. There is a buzz that Ashura could be held either on July 6th or July 7th. If Ashura is performed on July 7th, that could lead to school and public holidays in various parts of India. The exact date of Ashura depends upon the moon sighting in the country and other regions.

Ashura 2025 Date:

In India, the crescent moon of Muharram was sighed on June 26, which led the first day of Muharram 1447 Hijri on June 27, 2025. As per Islamic Relief, Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, and thus marks the start of the Islamic New Year. Muharram also holds a greater significance - we know from the holy Qur'an that Muharram is one of the four sacred months.

The significance of Muharam is forbidden, as it is one of the four sacred months in which warfare is forbidden. During the blessed month, Muslims are encouraged to engage in increased worship during this holy month.

With that, Ashura is observed on the 10th of Muharram, and is considered to be one of the virtuous days of the Islamic year. Since June 27th was the first day of Muharram month, then Ashura will fall on July 6th instead of July 7th.

What Is Closed On July 6 For Ashura?

With Muharram on July 6th, there is dry day in many states. Hence, liquor shops will be closed. Public transports will be scarce since a lot of routes will be closed for Shia Muslims procession. Additionally, all banks and trading on BSE and NSE will be closed due to Sunday being their defaulted weekend holiday. Schools are closed on Sunday in general terms.

Also, the majority of private offices and all government offices will be closed in the entirety of India on July 6th.

July 7th Holiday?

As per reports, the school calendar for July 2025, lists the Muharram holiday likely on July 7th, 2025. Hence, many schools in various states could be closed. Apart from this, there are also monsoon-related holidays that various schools will practice between July 10 to July 15.

As per a report by WBPAY, if Muharram falls on July 6th, which is a Sunday, there will be no separate holiday announcement. However, if Muharram is observed on July 7th, a Monday, based on the sighting of the moon, it will be considered a holiday for West Bengal government employees. This matter has generated considerable interest and curiosity among government employees.

Apart from this, states with Muslim majority such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and West Bengal may declare official holiday if Muharram falls on July 7th.

Also, banks are not closed on July 7th. As per RBI's holiday list for July 7th, banks do not have holiday in any of the states of India.

Further, there is no stock market holiday on July 7.

Significance of Ashura 2025:

At the beginning of each Islamic lunar calendar, in various parts of the Muslim world the first ten days are observed as a commemoration of a most horrific and tragic event. In places like Iran and Iraq, Muslims stage passion plays, in India and Pakistan, the community organizes huge processions full with tazias, (replicas of the tomb of Husain). Shia Muslims relive the story of the first ten days of Muharram that took place in the first century of Islam when the grandson of Prophet Muhammad , Imam Hussain challenged the authority of Yezid, the Umayyad ruler. He established the principle that sometimes the goals of life become more important than life itself, as per Islami City website.

The practice of Ashura is different for both Shia and Sunnis across the world. The Shia Muslims mourn the first ten days of Muharram including Ashura, commemorating the death of Husayn ibn Ali, who was the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the third Shia imam. On the other hand, as per Islami City report, Sunni Muslims practice these days with happiness such as weddings etc. and focus on the fasting of the 10th day of Muharram in memory of Prophet Moses exodus from Egypt. By and large most of the Sunni Muslim community avoid any explicit connection of that day to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain . In fact in many parts of the world the month has become a point of conflict between Shia and Sunni. Thus, Imam Hussain and his legacy is seen as a sectarian event