July 28 Holiday in Tamil Nadu: Will Banks, Schools, and Colleges Be Closed?

The Chengalpattu district administration has declared a local holiday on Monday, July 28, 2025, in view of the Aadi Pooram festival, popularly known in the region as the Adipura Festival.

The holiday aims to facilitate public participation in the grand celebrations held at the Adhiparasakthi Siddhar Peetam in Melmaruvathur, one of Tamil Nadu’s most revered spiritual centres.

Significance of Aadi Pooram

Aadi Pooram, which falls in the Tamil month of Aadi, is dedicated to Goddess Andal, considered an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, and also to Goddess Parvati. The festival marks the birth of Goddess Andal and is observed with grandeur in temples across Tamil Nadu.

In Melmaruvathur, the festival draws thousands of devotees each year. The temple will witness elaborate rituals, special pujas, and the distribution of colourful glass bangles to women devotees, a tradition symbolizing prosperity and divine blessings. Many temples will also perform the Thirukalyana Utsavam—the symbolic wedding of Andal with Lord Vishnu—while women observe fasts seeking marital harmony and blessings for a good match.

Compensation for Lost Working Day

The district administration has clarified that the working day lost due to the holiday will be compensated on Saturday, August 9, 2025.

Other District-Specific Holidays in Tamil Nadu

Several other districts in Tamil Nadu have recently observed local holidays for traditional festivals:

• Ariyalur observed a holiday on July 23 for Thiruvathirai, celebrated as the birthday of Rajendra Chola.
• Kanyakumari had a break on July 24 for Aadi Amavasai, a day dedicated to ancestral rituals like Tithi and Darpanam.

Meanwhile, another major celebration of the Aadi month, Aadi Perukku, which honors water bodies and nature, will be observed on Sunday, August 3, 2025. Though different in focus, both Aadi Pooram and Aadi Perukku reflect Tamil Nadu’s deep-rooted cultural and devotional traditions during the month of Aadi.