With Diwali on the horizon, most households in India are preparing themselves for the festive gatherings, food, parties etc. If your plans involve buying alcohol, it might be best to check the official dry day calendar in order to better plan and avoid any last minute liquor store runs.
Dry days as we know as state regulated dates when the sale of alcohol is prohibited, while not every city or state follows the same dates, as while New Delhi has issued a dry day on Diwali, other cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore have different allocated dates. Here's a city-wise breakdown for the month of November 2026.
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November's dry-day calendar includes three dates worth watching. November 8, Sunday, marks Diwali, while November 24, Tuesday, is Guru Nanak Jayanti. Both are confirmed dry days in Delhi. November 8th 2026 and November 24th 2026 have been declared dry days in the national capital on the account of Diwali and Guru Nanak Jayanti respectively.
Maharashtra will observe a dry day for Kartiki Ekadashi on November 5th. While some Marathi calendars state that Kartiki Ekadashi is on November 20th, the people living in Mumbai and Pune should watch out for official government communications, while Diwali and Guru Nanak Jayanti should not automatically be treated as nationwide dry days.
In Bengaluru, there are no verified citywide dry days, while Kartiki Ekadashi can also be declared a dry day. Additional dry days can be incorporated in case of local events or elections.
Besides Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka, other India states can also impose dry days. While no official communication has been made, both Diwali and Guru Nanak Jayanti are days to watch out for, although dry days vary from state to state.
It is important to note that cities across states such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan etc, can carry out restrictions on the sale of liquor on festive dates. It is important to keep a note on any and all state related communications regarding a dry day. Since dry day rules will be different across states, it is best to be informed in order to avoid any last minute surprises.
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A dry day doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be no alcohol available anywhere, most bars, restaurants and hotels follow different regulations and an imposed dry day usually results in full closure for the day for liquor shops and other establishments. The operations for each are dependent on the type of liquor license they are granted.
The information presented in this article has been sourced from multiple news reports, online dry-day calendars, and official government websites. These references provide details on reported dry days in November 2026, liquor sale restrictions, and festival dates across India. Some dates are yet to be confirmed through official government notifications and may be subject to change.
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Since liquor related sales can vary from one state to another, any official government communications should be followed for their respective states, this information allows for an easier time planning ahead and given the festival season approaching, its best to stock up if you’re preparing to host a big gathering.
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