India has 3 national public holidays in 2026 observed by all states and union territories. Beyond these, there are ~17 gazetted holidays (centrally announced) and ~35 restricted holidays (employee can choose 2-3 from the list).
For the live interactive calendar, see India 2026 holidays.
Quick reference: India's 3 national holidays 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January | Mon | Republic Day |
| 15 August | Sat | Independence Day |
| 2 October | Fri | Gandhi Jayanti |
Gazetted holidays 2026 (central government list)
Gazetted holidays are announced by the Government of India and observed by central government offices, banks, and most major employers. The 2026 list (approximate — confirmed in the Gazette each year):
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Thu | New Year's Day |
| 14 January | Wed | Makar Sankranti / Pongal |
| 26 January | Mon | Republic Day |
| 15 February | Sun | Maha Shivaratri |
| 4 March | Wed | Holi |
| 21 March | Sat | Eid al-Fitr (approx.) |
| 25 March | Wed | Ram Navami |
| 3 April | Fri | Good Friday |
| 14 April | Tue | Ambedkar Jayanti / Tamil New Year |
| 1 May | Fri | May Day (state-level) |
| 11 May | Mon | Buddha Purnima |
| 26 May | Tue | Eid al-Adha / Bakrid (approx.) |
| 9 July | Thu | Muharram (approx.) |
| 15 August | Sat | Independence Day |
| 28 August | Fri | Raksha Bandhan |
| 4 September | Fri | Janmashtami |
| 14 September | Mon | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| 30 September | Wed | Mahalaya |
| 2 October | Fri | Gandhi Jayanti |
| 12 October | Mon | Maha Navami / Navratri |
| 20 October | Tue | Dussehra (Vijayadashami) |
| 8 November | Sun | Diwali |
| 10 November | Tue | Govardhan Puja |
| 11 November | Wed | Bhai Dooj |
| 24 November | Tue | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
| 25 December | Fri | Christmas Day |
Note: Lunar-calendar dates (Eid, Diwali, etc.) shift slightly based on local moon-sighting. Confirm with official Gazette of India.
State holidays
India's 28 states + 8 union territories each add additional regional holidays. Examples:
Maharashtra
- Maharashtra Day (1 May)
- Gudi Padwa (Marathi New Year — 20 Mar 2026)
- Shivaji Jayanti (19 Feb)
Tamil Nadu
- Pongal (4 days, 14-17 January)
- Tamil New Year (Puthandu) (14 April)
- Telugu New Year (Ugadi) (20 March)
Kerala
- Onam (10-day festival, peak day 26 August 2026)
- Vishu (14 April)
West Bengal
- Pohela Boishakh (14 April — Bengali New Year)
- Durga Puja (5-day festival, 17-21 October)
- Kali Puja (8 November)
Gujarat
- Uttarayan / Kite Festival (14 January)
- Gujarati New Year (10 November)
Punjab
- Baisakhi (14 April)
- Lohri (13 January)
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh Birthday (13 November)
Karnataka
- Ugadi (20 March)
- Karnataka Rajyotsava Day (1 November)
Andhra Pradesh / Telangana
- Ugadi (20 March)
- Bathukamma (4-10 October)
For state-specific lists, see India calendar which auto-detects your region.
Restricted holidays
Each year the central government announces ~35 restricted holidays. Employees can choose 2-3 to observe in addition to the gazetted holidays. Common ones:
- New Year's Eve
- Lunar New Year (Chinese/Tibetan)
- Easter Sunday
- Buddha Jayanti
- Hazrat Ali's Birthday
- Mahavir Jayanti
- Janmashtami
- Onam
- Karva Chauth
- Govardhan Puja
- Christmas Eve
- St. Stephen's Day
- Various regional festivals
The restricted holiday system gives employees flexibility to celebrate their own religious/cultural observances without forcing the entire workforce to take the same day off.
Major festivals dates 2026
Pongal — 14-17 January 2026
4-day Tamil harvest festival. See Pongal 2026 guide.
Republic Day — 26 January 2026
Commemorates the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950. Grand parade in New Delhi.
Holi — 4 March 2026 (Choti Holi 3 March)
Festival of Colors. See Holi 2026 guide.
Eid al-Fitr — ~21 March 2026
End of Ramadan. See Ramadan 2026 guide.
Independence Day — 15 August 2026
India's independence from British rule (1947). Prime Minister addresses the nation from Red Fort. Falls on Saturday in 2026.
Diwali — 8 November 2026
Festival of Lights. The biggest Hindu festival. See Diwali 2026 guide.
Eid al-Adha — ~26 May 2026
Feast of Sacrifice. See Eid al-Adha 2026 guide.
Long weekends 2026 in India
| Long weekend | Days | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 24-26 Jan | 3 | Republic Day |
| 14-15 Aug (work Mon) | depends | Independence Day weekend |
| 2-5 Apr | 4 | Good Friday + Easter |
| 2-4 Oct | 3 | Gandhi Jayanti + Saturday |
| 7-10 Nov | depends | Diwali weekend |
Banking holidays vs public holidays
India distinguishes:
- Government holidays: gazetted holidays + state additional
- Banking holidays: per RBI, includes some state-level ones (e.g., Eid Milad in Bihar but not Gujarat)
- Stock market holidays (BSE/NSE): mostly aligned with banking holidays
In 2026, BSE/NSE will be closed on most major holidays plus second/fourth Saturday + every Sunday.
Greetings by language
- Hindi: नमस्कार (Namaskar), शुभकामनाएं (Shubhkamnayein)
- Tamil: வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
- Telugu: నమస్కారం (Namaskaram)
- Bengali: নমস্কার (Nomoshkar)
- Gujarati: નમસ્તે (Namaste)
- Marathi: नमस्कार (Namaskar)
- Punjabi: ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ (Sat Sri Akal)
Related references
- India 2026 holidays calendar
- India long weekends 2026
- Hindu calendar 2026
- Diwali 2026 dates by country
- Holi 2026 Festival of Colors
- Pongal 2026 Tamil harvest
- Eid al-Fitr 2026 dates
- Tamil calendar 2026
- Bangla calendar 2026
Indian gazetted holidays are confirmed annually in the Gazette of India. Lunar dates (Eid, Diwali, Holi) finalized closer to the date based on moon-sighting. Verify with official sources for ceremonial planning.