Maharashtra Day is a state holiday in the Indian state of Maharashtra. On this special day, state of Maharashtra was formed from the division of the Bombay State on 1 May 1960. All offices in the state remain closed and sale of alcohol is prohibited.
This day is celebrated to commemorate the creation of a Marathi speaking state of Maharashtra. On this day parades, political speeches and ceremonies, along with various public and private events take place that celebrate the history and traditions of Maharashtra.
Every year this day is celebrated with a parade at Shivaji Park, Dadar. But this year it is going to be different because of the coronavirus pandemic. The whole country is under lockdown to curb the spread of the disease. The state has maximum number of covid-19 cases. The number has also crossed 10,000 mark.
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, defined boundaries for states within India on the basis of languages.
The then Bombay though had people that spoke several languages like Marathi, Konkani, Kutchi and Gujarati which did not work out. Therefore, the Sanyukt Maharastra Andolan made a demand for separate state.
The protest went on till 1960 when the Bombay Reorganization Act was passed by India’s Parliament to divide the multilingual state of Bombay into Gujarat and Maharashtra, with Ahmedabad. The legislation came into effect on May 1, 1960.