Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS): Maharashtra prepares to sit back for a long weekend of bank and public holidays starting from September 28 and ending on October 3.

On Thursday, the state government and all other offices shall remain shut for Anant Chaturdashi, marking the end of the 10-day long Ganeshotsav festival.

This will be followed by a holiday on Friday for Eid Milad-un-Nabi, to mark the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed.

Earlier, the Eid Milad-un-Nabi coincided with Anant Chaturdashi (September 28), but the Muslim community voluntarily decided to postpone the celebrations from Thursday to Friday. They had also urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to postpone the Eid Milad-un-Nabi holiday from September 28 to September 29, which he consented on Wednesday.

Thereafter, September 30 will mark the half-yearly closing of banks, followed by the weekly holiday, Sunday. Monday, October 2, will again be a national holiday to mark the 154th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, when everything will remain closed.

With a series of five consecutive non-working days, thousands of people from Mumbai, Thane, Pune and other places have chalked out elaborate holiday plans with their families to fan out to various sea resorts or hill-stations, and even to destinations out of the state.