This complete guide to public holidays in India 2026 reflects the country’s extraordinary diversity, with Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain observances alongside national days. The central government notifies gazetted holidays observed across the country, while states add regional festivals of their own. This guide covers the national gazetted holidays for 2026 — the days when central government offices and most banks close.
Gazetted public holidays in India, 2026
- Monday, 26 January — Republic Day
- Wednesday, 4 March — Holi
- Saturday, 21 March — Id-ul-Fitr — expected, subject to moon sighting
- Thursday, 26 March — Ram Navami
- Tuesday, 31 March — Mahavir Jayanti
- Friday, 3 April — Good Friday
- Tuesday, 14 April — Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Jayanti
- Friday, 1 May — Buddha Purnima
- Thursday, 28 May — Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)
- Friday, 26 June — Muharram — expected, subject to moon sighting
- Saturday, 15 August — Independence Day
- Wednesday, 26 August — Milad-un-Nabi (Id-e-Milad) — expected, subject to moon sighting
- Friday, 4 September — Janmashtami (Vaishnava)
- Friday, 2 October — Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti
- Tuesday, 20 October — Dussehra (Vijay Dashami)
- Sunday, 8 November — Diwali (Deepavali)
- Tuesday, 24 November — Guru Nanak Jayanti
- Friday, 25 December — Christmas Day
Gazetted, restricted and state holidays
India runs a three-tier system. Gazetted holidays are mandatory days off for central government offices. Restricted holidays form a longer list from which employees may choose a limited number each year — covering festivals like Karva Chauth, Chhath Puja and others significant to particular communities. States then notify their own additional holidays for regional festivals such as Pongal, Bihu or Onam. Your real days off are the combination of all three tiers, so check your state government’s notification as well as this national list.
Notes on the 2026 dates
The Islamic observances — Id-ul-Fitr, Muharram and Milad-un-Nabi — depend on moon sighting and may shift by a day; the government confirms them near the time. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November in 2026, so the festival itself lands on a weekend, though workplaces commonly grant leave around it anyway and the five-day festivities span the surrounding days. Holi on Wednesday 4 March and Dussehra on Tuesday 20 October both create natural mid-week breaks — pair each with a day or two of leave for a proper holiday.
What to expect on the day
On gazetted holidays, central government offices, public-sector banks and most schools close. Private companies vary: many follow the gazetted list, while others publish their own calendars each January. Major festivals reshape daily life regardless of official status — Diwali week sees markets, transport and cities transformed, and Holi turns streets into colour-filled celebrations. If you are visiting India, the weeks around Diwali (early November 2026) and Holi (early March) are unforgettable, but book trains, flights and hotels well ahead as demand peaks.
Planning tips for the 2026 calendar
Look for the bridge opportunities: Ram Navami (Thursday 26 March) plus Friday leave makes four days; Buddha Purnima (Friday 1 May) and Janmashtami (Friday 4 September) and Gandhi Jayanti (Friday 2 October) each deliver three-day weekends with no leave spent. Christmas on Friday 25 December does the same to close the year. Mark the tentative Islamic dates in pencil until confirmed, and remember that state holidays can add several more days — Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, for example, each observe well over twenty days a year all told.