Mumbai Dabbawalas to Take Six-Day Leave From April 9; Services to Resume on April 15

The leave has been granted to allow dabbawalas to participate in annual religious yatras held in their native villages across Maharashtra. Services are expected to resume from the morning of Tuesday, April 15, as usual.

Traditional Yatras Prompt Temporary Break in Service

A large number of Mumbai's dabbawalas hail from rural talukas such as Mulshi, Maval, Khed, Ambegaon, and Junnar, where village deity and clan deity festivals are currently being celebrated. In keeping with tradition, the dabbawalas will return to their villages to take part in these religious gatherings.

Due to their absence, regular lunchbox delivery services across Mumbai will remain suspended during this period. Talekar has requested customers to make alternate arrangements for their meals during these six days.

Major Holidays Included in the Break

Although the leave spans six days, Talekar clarified that three of those days include public holidays—Mahavir Jayanti, Hanuman Jayanti, and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti—along with a regular Sunday. Thus, in effect, the dabbawalas are taking only two additional working days off.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We also request that customers refrain from deducting wages during this holiday period, as this leave is connected to religious and cultural obligations,” said Talekar.

Reduced Demand Due to Summer Vacation

He further noted that many schools, colleges, and government offices are closed for summer vacation, which has already led to a temporary dip in demand for dabbawala services. Despite this, the association has issued an apology for any inconvenience faced by regular customers.

The Mumbai Dabbawala Association assures that services will resume without disruption from April 15, with dabbawalas reporting for duty in the morning as per their routine schedule.