Noida goes dry for Holi: Why liquor shops were shut
On Holi, Noida and Greater Noida went dry for a full 24 hours—no liquor shops, bars, or canteens open anywhere.
The district administration made this call to keep things peaceful during the celebrations, covering pretty much every type of alcohol license in the area.
Occasional bar license was the only way to serve alcohol
If you were hoping for a drink at a Holi party, only venues with a special Occasional Bar License (FL-11) could serve alcohol.
District Excise Officer Subodh Kumar made it clear: anyone caught serving booze without the right license—or selling open bottles or pouches—could face legal trouble.
People were encouraged to stick to sealed bottles from authorized shops and report any violations using helpline 14405.
Liquor shops in Delhi, Maharashtra stayed open
While Noida played it safe with strict rules, Delhi and Maharashtra took a different route this year—liquor shops stayed open since the Delhi and Maharashtra governments dropped Holi from their dry days list.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad enforced its own ban for part of the festival period.