Schools shut in several states for Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti

Schools in several states remained closed on Monday, October 26, for Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Ramayana's composer. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab listed it as a holiday, while some states treated it as optional. As it is not a nationwide holiday, private, CBSE and ICSE schools could follow their own calendars.