Overview

• Gazetted schedules and the RBI calendar list September 5 as a public and banking holiday across many Indian states, with bank closures noted in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and others.
• Outlets offer differing 2025 dates because of regional lunar rulings, with reports ranging from September 3–7 and several pointing to the September 4–5 window.
• Sunni communities commonly mark the 12th of Rabi’ al‑Awwal, while many Shia communities observe the 17th, leading to variations even within countries.
• Customary observances include special prayers, sermons, processions, charity, festive foods, and visits to major mosques and dargahs such as Jama Masjid, Haji Ali, Nizamuddin Auliya, and Ajmer Sharif.
• Modern celebrations trace to formal observances under the Fatimid dynasty that spread across Syria, Morocco, Turkey, and Spain, though some Muslims abstain, viewing Mawlid as an innovation.