National days in India
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Public Holidays in India, also known as Statutory Holidays, or colloquially Government Holidays, consist of a variety of cultural, nationalistic, and religious
holidays A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate ...
that are legislated in India at the union or state levels. While many of these holidays are honored and acknowledged nationwide, state legislation varies in regard to which are officially recognized. India, being a culturally diverse society, celebrates many holidays and festivals, but there are only three national festivals: Republic Day (26 January),
Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
(15 August), and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October). In India, there are more than 30 grand festivals which are celebrated in major parts of India along with other state festivals. States have local festivals depending on prevalent religious and linguistic demographics. Popular Hindu festivals like
Makar Sankranti Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...
,
Pongal Pongal may refer to: * Pongal (festival) Pongal (, ), also referred to as Tai Pongal (), is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka.
, Maha Shivratri, Janmashtami, Saraswati Puja,
Guru Purnima Guru Purnima (Poornima) is a tradition dedicated to all the spiritual and academic Gurus, who are evolved or enlightened humans, ready to share their wisdom, based on Karma Yoga. It is celebrated as a festival in India, Nepal and Bhutan by Hi ...
,
Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...
,
Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan Quote: m Hindi ''rakśābandhan'' held on the full moon of the month of Savan, when sisters tie a talisman (rakhi q.v.) on the arm of their brothers and receive small gifts of money from them. is a popular and traditionally Hin ...
, Holi, Durga Puja,
Dussehra Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...
, and
Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
; Jain festivals like Mahavir Janma Kalyanak and Paryushan;
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
festivals like
Guru Nanak Jayanti Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab also known as Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak. One of the most celebrated and important Sikh gurus and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev is highly revered by th ...
and Vaisakhi; Muslim festivals like
Eid ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...
,
Eid ul-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's comm ...
,
Mawlid Mawlid, Mawlid an-Nabi ash-Sharif or Eid Milad un Nabi ( ar, المولد النبوي, translit=mawlid an-nabawī, lit=Birth of the Prophet, sometimes simply called in colloquial Arabic , , among other vernacular pronunciations; sometimes , ) ...
, and Muharram; Buddhist festivals like Ambedkar Jayanti,
Buddha Jayanti Buddha's Birthday (also known as Buddha Jayanti, also known as his day of enlightenment – Buddha Purnima, Buddha Pournami) is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated in most of East Asia and South Asia commemorating the birth of the Prince ...
, Dhammachakra Pravartan Day, and Losar; Parsi Zoroastrian holidays such as Nowruz; and
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
festivals like
Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
, Christmas and Easter, some festivals are celebrated by the whole India and some festivals are celebrated by limited region of India.


National holidays

National holidays are observed in all states and union territories of India. They are:


Other notable holidays

States generally adopt the same holidays as the union government with some variations. In addition to the official holidays, many religious, ethnic, and other traditional holidays, as well as observances proclaimed by officials populate the calendar. At the discretion of the employer, other holidays are common additions to the list of paid holidays.


Holidays with religious significance

In India, people from various religions coexist together. Religious and cultural holidays are characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices.


Hindu holidays

Hindus celebrate a number of indian festivals all through the year. Hindu festivals have one or more of religious, cultural 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.


Islamic holidays


Sikh holidays

A number of Sikh holidays are
Gurpurb Gurpurab ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ) in Sikh tradition is a celebration of an anniversary of a Guru's birth marked by the holding of a festival. There are indications in the old chronicles that the gurus who succeeded Guru Nanak cele ...
s, anniversaries of a guru's birth or death; marked by the holding of a festival.


Christian holidays


Buddhist holidays


Jain holidays


Parsee (Zoroastrian) holidays

The ''
Shahenshahi Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days, all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. The '' Shahenshahi'' and ''Kadmi'' variants of the calendar do not intercalate leap years and hence the day of the Gregorian calendar year on ...
'' and ''Kadmi'' variants of the Zoroastrian calendar do not intercalate leap years and hence the day of the Gregorian calendar year on which these days are celebrated shifts ahead with time. The third variant of the Zoroastrian calendar, known as either ''Fasli'' (in India) or ''Bastani'' (in Iran), intercalcates according to Gregorian calendar rules and thus remains synchronous with the seasons. The Parsis in India use a
Shahenshahi Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days, all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. The '' Shahenshahi'' and ''Kadmi'' variants of the calendar do not intercalate leap years and hence the day of the Gregorian calendar year on ...
calendar, unlike the Iranian Zoroastrians who use a
Kadmi Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days, all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. The ''Shahenshahi'' and ''Kadmi'' variants of the calendar do not intercalate leap years and hence the day of the Gregorian calendar year on w ...
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.


Ravidassia holidays


Ayyavazhi holidays


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.Holidays to be observed in central government offices during 2017
Note a new version of this document is released each year, and old versions may not be available beyond one or two years previous.
The list is divided into two parts: * Gazetted holidays (Annexure I) * Restricted holidays (Annexure II) In addition, local administrations also issue a list of holidays, known as local holidays, which are observed at the district level.


Central government

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) 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 & Annexure


Annexure 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

= It consists of holidays that are observed compulsorily across India. These holidays are: # Republic Day # Independence Day # Gandhi Jayanti # Mahavir Janma Kalyanak # Buddha Purnima # Christmas Day # Dussehra # Diwali (Deepavali) # Good Friday # Guru Nanak's Birthday # Eid ul-Fitr


=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 (if necessary, in consultation with Coordination Committees at other places in the State). 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. #Republic day # An additional day for Dussehra # Holi # Janamashtami (Vaishanvi)/Krishnashtami # Rama Navami # Maha Sivarathri # Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayak Chaturthi # Makar Sankranti/Sankranthi # Onam # Sri Panchami/Basanta Panchami # Vishu/Vaisakhi/Vaisakhadi/Bhag Bihu/Mashadi/Ugadi/Chaitra Sakladi/Cheti Chand/Gudhi Pada 1st Navratra/Nauraj


Annexure II

Annexure II also known as Restricted holidays, consists of a list of holidays which are optional. Each employee is allowed to choose any two holidays from the list of Restricted Holidays. The Coordination Committees at the State Capitals draw up a separate list of Restricted Holidays, keeping in mind the occasions of local importance, but the nine occasions left over, after choosing the three variable holidays in paragraph 3.1, are included in the list of restricted holidays.


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 (eleven) holidays of their own only after including the three National Holidays and Diwali, Milad-Un-Nabi or Id-E-Milad, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, Eid-ul-Fitr, Dussehra (Vijaya Dasami), Guru Nanak's Birthday, Christmas Day as compulsory holidays falling on weekdays.


Banks

With respect to banks, the holidays are restricted to 15 days per year in terms of the instructions issued by the Department of Economic Affairs (Banking Division). # Bank Holiday # Gandhi Jayanti # Mahavir Janma Kalyanak # Maharaja Agresen Jayanti # Kashiram Death Anniversary # Dussehra (Maha Navami) # Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) #
Dusshera Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...
(Maha Navaratri, Durgotsava, Durga Ashtami, Durga Ashtami) # Deepawali # Deepawali (Govardhan Puja) # Bhai Duj/Chitragupt Jayanti # Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) # 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 # Sankaranti # Basanta Panchami # Guru Ravidas Jayanti # Chehalum # Holi # Easter Saturday # Easter Monday # Baishakhi # Janmashtami # Vishwakarma Pooja # Eid ul Fitr # Ganesh Chaturthi # Anant chaturdasi #
Dussehra Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...
(Maha Ashtami) # Maharshi Balmiki Jayanti # Deepavali (Narak Chaturdasi) # Eid ul Adha (Bakrid) # Guru Teg Bahadur Shahid Diwas # Moharram # Christmas # Second and Fourth Saturday of Every Month # All Saturdays of the month in the IT sector


See also

* Bank holidays in India *
Indian New Year's days There are numerous days throughout the year celebrated as New Year's Day in the different regions of India. The observance is determined by whether the lunar calendar is being followed or the solar calendar. Those regions which follow the Solar c ...
*
List of Hindu festivals Across the globe, Hindus celebrate a diverse number of festivals and celebrations, typically marking events from ancient India and often coinciding with seasonal changes. These celebrations take place either on a fixed annual date on the solar ...
* List of Sikh festivals *
Islamic holidays There are two official holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Both holidays occur on dates in the lunar Islamic calendar, which is different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they are ...
*
List of Buddhist festivals Japanese, Burmese, Tibetan, Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Chakma, Marma and Barua festivals often show the influence of Buddhist culture. Pagoda festivals in Myanmar are one example. In Tibet, India and Bhutan these festivals may include the ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Public Holidays in India * India
Holidays A holiday is a day set aside by Norm (social), custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate ...