Public holidays in India
, being a culturally diverse society, celebrates many holidays and festivals, but there are only three national holidays: Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti.
States have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Popular Hindu festivals of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Maha Shivratri, Onam, Janmashtami, Saraswati Puja, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Raksha Bandhan, Holi, Durga Puja, Dussehra and Diwali; Jain festivals are Mahavir Janma Kalyanak and Paryushan; Sikh festivals like Guru Nanak Jayanti and Vaisakhi; Muslim festivals of Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Mawlid, Muharram; Buddhist festivals like Ambedkar Jayanti, Buddha Jayanti, Dhammachakra Pravartan Day and Losar; Parsi Zoroastrian holidays such as Nowruz, and Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter as well as days of observances such as Good Friday are observed throughout India.
National holidays
National holidays are observed in all states and union territories.India has three national days.
They are:
| Date | English name | Commemorates |
| Republic Day | Adoption of the Constitution of India | |
| 15 August | Independence Day | Independence from the British Empire |
| 2 October | Gandhi Jayanti | Birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi |
Religious holidays
In India, people from various religions coexist together.Hindu holidays
Hindus celebrate a number of festivals all through the year. Hindu festivals have one or more of religious, mythological and seasonal significance. The observance of the festival, the symbolisms used and attached, and the style and intensity of celebration vary from region to region within the country. A list of the more popular festivals is given below.| Holiday | Observed in |
| Bhogi/Lohri | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab |
| Makar Sankranti/Maghi/Magh Bihu/Pongal | Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Pongal / Tamilar Thirunaal |
| Vishu | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Vasant Panchami | Telangana, Odisha, Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| Ratha Saptami | Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka |
| Maha Shivaratri | Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Punjab, Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal |
| Holi | All states and territories except Kerala, Nagaland, Mizoram, Goa, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Bangalore. |
| Dhulivandan | Maharashtra |
| Gudhi Padwa/Ugadi/Puthandu | Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu |
| Ram Navami | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal |
| Hanuman Jayanti | Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. |
| Akshaya Tritiya/Maharishi Parashurama Jayanti | Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh |
| Rath Jatra | Odisha, Gujarat |
| Nag Panchami or Guga-Navami | All states and territories except Goa |
| Raksha Bandhan | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana. |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |
| Raja Parba | Odisha |
| Mahalaya | Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha |
| Dussehra/Durga Puja | All states and territories |
| Kumara Purnima | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal |
| Diwali | All states and territories |
| Diwali | Vasu Baras – Maharashtra |
| Diwali | Dhanteras – Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar |
| Diwali | Naraka Chaturdashi – all states except Tamil Nadu |
| Diwali | Lakshmi Puja – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Tripura, Telangana |
| Diwali | Balipratipada, Govardhan Puja– all states except Tamil Nadu |
| Bhai Duj | Maharashtra, Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab. |
| Devotthan Ekadashi | Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and some parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh |
| Hartalika Teej | Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| Jagaddhatri Puja | West Bengal |
| Vishwakarma Puja | Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal. |
| Nuakhai | Odisha |
| Chhath Puja | Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |
| Bathukamma | Telangana |
| Bonalu | Telangana |
Islamic holidays
| Holiday | Day and month of Hijri | Observed in |
| Day of Ashura | 10th Muharram. Death of Imam Hussain ibn Ali | All states and territories |
| Mawlid | Rabi' al-awwal | All states and territories |
| Birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib | Terah Rajab Hazrat Ali | Uttar Pradesh and Bihar |
| Shab-e-Barat | Mid-Sha'ban | Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Jumat-ul-Wida Alvida | Last Friday in Ramadan | Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh |
| Eid ul-Fitr | End of Ramadan | All states and territories |
| Eid-e-Ghadeer | 18 Dhu al-Hijjah | Telangana |
| Eid al-Adha | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah | All states and territories |
Sikh holidays
A number of Sikh holidays are Gurpurbs, anniversaries of a guru's birth or death; marked by the holding of a festival.| Holiday | Observed in |
| Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurpurab | Bihar, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
| Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji | Punjab |
| Vaisakhi | Andaman & Nicobar, Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal |
| Guru Nanak Gurpurab | Andaman & Nicobar, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu |
Christian holidays
| Holiday | Observed in |
| New Year's Day | All states and territories |
| Palm Sunday | All states and territories |
| Maundy Thursday | Meghalaya, Mizoram and Goa |
| Good Friday | All states and territories |
| Easter Sunday | All states and territories |
| Feast of Pentecost | All states and territories |
| Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle | Kerala |
| Fest of St. Theresa of Calcutta | West Bengal |
| Feast of the Blessed Virgin | Goa and Parts of Karnataka |
| All Saints Day | Karnataka |
| All Souls Day | Mizoram |
| Feast of St. Francis Xavier | Goa |
| Christmas Day | All states and territories |
| Boxing Day | Telangana |
| Feast of Holy Family | Meghalaya |
Buddhist holidays
| Holiday | Observed in |
| Buddha Purnima | Andaman & Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab |
| Dhammachakra Pravartan Day | Maharashtra |
| Losar | Sikkim, Ladakh |
Jain holidays
Parsee (Zoroastrian) holidays
The Parsis in India use a Shahenshahi calendar, unlike the Iranian Zoroastrians who use a Kadmi calendar. The North American and European Parsis have adapted their own version of the Fasli calendar. These differences cause changes in the dates of the holidays. For example, the Zoroastrian New Year, Nowruz, falls in the spring for the Iranians but in the summer for the Parsis.| Holiday | Observed in |
| Nowruz | Gujarat, Maharashtra, Pondicherry, Punjab |
Ravidassia holidays
| Holiday | Observed in |
| Guru Ravidass Jayanti | Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh. |
Ayyavazhi holidays
Traditional holidays
In addition to the official holidays, many religious, ethnic, and other traditional holidays populate the calendar, as well as observances proclaimed by officials and lighter celebrations. These are rarely observed by central government and businesses.| Date | Holiday | Observed in |
| 1 January | New Year's Day | Most of India |
| 13–17 January | Pongal | Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu |
| 14 January | Uttarayan | Gujarat |
| 23 January | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Jayanti | Odisha, Tripura, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam 30 January Mahatma Gandhi's Death Anniversary |
| August or September | Onam | Kerala, Pondicherry |
| 19 February | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti | Maharashtra |
| 20 February | Arunachal Pradesh | |
| 1st Day of Chithirai, March/April | Vishu / Varusha Pirappu or Puthandu | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| 2nd Day of Chaitra, March/April | Cheti Chand | Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh |
| 15 March | Kanshi Ram's Jayanti | Uttar Pradesh |
| 22 March | Bihar Day | Bihar |
| 30 March | Rajasthan Day | Rajasthan |
| 1 April | Utkala Dibasa | Odisha |
| 14 April | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Jayanti | Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal |
| 14/15 April | Puthandu | Tamil Nadu |
| 14/15 April | Pohela Boishakh | Tripura, West Bengal |
| 15 April | Bihu | Assam |
| 15 April | Maha Vishuva Sankranti / Pana Sankranti | Odisha |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan, Punjab |
| 1 May | Maharashtra Day | Maharashtra |
| 1 May | Gujarat Day | Gujarat |
| 9 May | Rabindra Jayanti | West Bengal |
| 16 May | Annexation Day | Sikkim |
| 2 June | Telangana Formation Day | Telangana |
| 15 June | Maharana Pratap Jayanti | Rajasthan |
| Purnima of Ashvin | Valmiki Jayanti | Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka |
| 26 October | Accession Day | Jammu and Kashmir |
| 31 October | Sardar Patel Jayanti | Gujarat |
| 1 November | Karnataka Rajyotsava | Karnataka |
| 1 November | Andhra Pradesh Foundation Day | Andhra Pradesh |
| 1 November | Haryana Foundation Day | Haryana |
| 1 November | Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1 November | Kerala Foundation Day | Kerala |
| 1 November | Chhattisgarh Foundation Day | Chhattisgarh |
| 3rd day of Kartika Krishna Paksha | Kanaka Jayanti | Karnataka |
| 7 December | Armed Forces Flag Day | Indian military |
The large number of holidays
While having so many government holidays is in line with the idea of peaceful co-existence of all religions, there have been demands from various public bodies that the system of a multitude of religious holidays is hampering economic activities to a great extent. The past two Central Government Pay Commissions have recommended the abolition of all Central Government holidays on religious festivals, and instead, substituting them with the three national holidays, i.e., Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti.Increasing the number of restricted holidays, depending on one's religious persuasion, from the existing two to eight was also proposed, the rationale being that eight holidays can more than cater to the festivals of any particular religion. So, there is no point in having more than that number of holidays since religion does not warrant a Hindu to celebrate Eid or a Muslim to celebrate Diwali.
With the proposed system, however, it was left to the individual to choose which eight holidays to celebrate, irrespective of his religious belief. This recommendation has not been accepted by the government of India, fearing a loss of popularity, thus the Indian government continues with an unusually large number of religious holidays as compared to most other countries.
Holidays in government offices
Central and State governments in India issue annually a list of holidays to be observed in the respective government offices during the year. The list is divided into two parts:- Gazetted holidays
- Restricted holidays
Central government
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on behalf of the Government of India issues a list of holidays to be observed in central government offices during the year. The list is divided in two parts i.e. Annexure I & AnnexureAnnexure I
Annexure I, also known as Gazetted holidays, consists of a list of holidays that are mandatory once decided. This list consists of two parts:- Paragraph 2
- Paragraph 3.1
Paragraph 2
- Republic Day
- Independence Day
- Gandhi Jayanti
- Mahavir Janma Kalyanak
- Buddha Purnima
- Christmas Day
- Dussehra
- Diwali
- Good Friday
- Guru Nanak's Birthday
- Eid ul-Fitr
- Eid al-Adha
- Muharram
- Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
Paragraph 3.1
In addition to the 14 compulsory holidays mentioned in paragraph 2, three holidays are chosen from the list below by the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee in the respective state capitals. The final list is applied uniformly across all Central Government offices within each state. They are notified after seeking the prior approval of the ministry, and no changes can be made thereafter. No change is permissible in regard to festivals and dates.- An additional day for Dasahara
- Holi
- Janamashtami
- Ram Navami
- Maha Shivratri
- Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayak Chaturthi
- Makar Sankrantili
- Onam
- Sri Panchami/Basanta Panchami
- Vishu/Vaisakhi/Vaisakhadi/Bhag Bihu/Mashadi Ugadi/Chaitra Sakladi/Cheti Chand/Gudhi Pada 1st Navratra/Nauraj
Annexure II
Central government organisations
Central Government Organisations, which include industrial, commercial and trading establishments, observe up to 16 holidays per year, including three national holidays, viz. Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, as compulsory holidays. The remaining holidays/occasions may be determined by such establishments/organisations themselves, subject to paragraph 3.2.Union territory administrations
Union territory administrations decide the list of holidays based on Ministry of Home Affairs letter No.14046/27 /83- GP-I dated 15 February 1984, by which they observe a total of 16 holidays, including the three National Holidays, viz. Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.Indian missions abroad
In respect of Indian missions abroad, the number of holidays is determined in accordance with the instructions contained in the Department of Personnel and Training's O.M. No.12/5/2002-JCA dated 17 December 2002. They have the option to select 11 holidays of their own only after including the three National Holidays and Diwali, Milad-Un-Nabi or Id-E-Milad, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, Idu'l Fitr, Dussehra, Guru Nanak's Birthday, Christmas Day as compulsory holidays falling on weekdays.Banks
In respect to banks, the holidays are restricted to 15 days per year in terms of the instructions issued by the Department of Economic Affairs.- Bank Holiday
- Gandhi Jayanti
- Mahavir Janma Kalyanak
- Maharaja Agresen Jayanti
- Kashiram Death Anniversary
- Dussehra
- Dussehra
- Dusshera
- Deepawali
- Deepawali
- Bhai Duj/Chitragupt Jayanti
- Eid al-Adha
- Guru Nanak's birthday/Kartik Poornima
- Dr. B R. Ambedkar's Nirwan Diwas
- Moharram
- Christmas
- New Year's Day
- International Women's Day
- Gudhi Padwa
- Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurpurab
- Makar Sankaranti
- Basanta Panchami
- Guru Ravidas Jayanti
- Chehalum
- Holi
- Easter Saturday
- Easter Monday
- Baishakhi
- Janmashtami
- Vishwakarma Pooja
- Eid ul fitr
- Ganesh Chaturthi
- Anant chaturdasi
- Dussehra
- Maharshi Balmiki Jayanti
- Deepawali
- Eid ul Adha
- Guru Teg Bahadur Shahid Diwas
- Moharram
- Christmas