As it turns out I can answer my own question after asking around today. October 30 is the birthday of some political man whose BD celebration has sparked the dedicated faction (the "young" according to our guide) to get drunk and destructive. So in Madurai then restrict all alcohol sales for four days before the BD celebration (even apparently to non-young or destructive, clueless tourists staying in hotels). The rest of Tamil Nadu seems to be business as usual .