Vasai | September 9, 2026 — The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation has appealed to meat shops across the city to remain closed on September 8 and September 15 during the Paryushan festival, prompting opposition from the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, which has questioned the basis of the civic decision.
The municipal corporation issued the notice on Tuesday, asking meat shops in its jurisdiction to stop sales on the first and last days of the Paryushan period. The festival is being observed from September 8 to September 15 this year. The civic appeal applies to meat sales on both dates.
Paryushan is an important festival for the Jain community. Its central observances include self-reflection, restraint, spiritual practice, study and seeking forgiveness from all living beings. Jain residents live in substantial numbers across the municipal areas of Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar.
The Marathi Ekikaran Samiti has criticised the Vasai-Virar civic body’s decision and asked on whose instructions it was issued. The organisation described the move as an arbitrary decision and expressed anger over the appeal to close meat shops.
The closure practice follows a Maharashtra Urban Development Department government resolution issued on June 29, 2019. According to the report, Jain community members had sought the closure of slaughterhouses in the region during Paryushan that year. The government’s rules provided for slaughterhouses to remain closed on two days—the first and last days of the festival—instead of throughout the Paryushan period.
The current municipal communication concerns the closure of meat sales on September 8 and September 15. The report does not provide details on whether the corporation has issued separate enforcement instructions for retailers, the penalties for non-compliance or the estimated number of businesses affected.
The notice has therefore brought a state-level festival-related regulation into a local municipal setting, where it directly affects meat retailers and customers. The civic corporation’s appeal and the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti’s objection represent the two positions reported so far.
The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation’s next step is the implementation of the closure appeal on the two dates specified in its notice: September 8 and September 15, 2026.
