India
India observes three nationwide gazetted holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti). All other public holidays are declared state-by-state and reflect the multi-religious composition of the country: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain observances all appear on state calendars.
Nationwide gazetted holidays
- Republic Day - January 26
- Independence Day - August 15
- Gandhi Jayanti - October 2
Commonly observed religious and cultural holidays
Most states observe a subset of the following, with the exact list varying by state:
- Makar Sankranti / Pongal - January 14
- Maha Shivaratri - varies (Hindu lunar calendar)
- Holi - varies (Hindu lunar calendar)
- Eid al-Fitr - varies (Hijri calendar)
- Eid al-Adha - varies (Hijri calendar)
- Good Friday - varies
- Easter - varies
- Buddha Purnima - varies
- Muharram - varies
- Janmashtami - varies
- Onam - varies (Kerala)
- Ganesh Chaturthi - varies (Maharashtra)
- Diwali - varies (Hindu lunar calendar)
- Christmas Day - December 25
Restricted holidays
The central Government also publishes a list of "restricted holidays" - observances on which government employees may choose to take the day off, but which are not mandatory. There are roughly 30 restricted holidays on the list, drawn from the major religious calendars.
How the Indian holiday calendar works
India has 3 nationally mandated "gazetted holidays" observed across the country: Republic Day (January 26), Independence Day (August 15), and Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). Beyond these, India has a complex calendar of religious, cultural, and regional holidays observed at the state level - over 30 public holidays are gazetted at the national or state level depending on the year. State governments set additional public holidays based on cultural and religious demographics, with each state having 8-15 government holidays annually.
The Indian calendar also operates on multiple astronomical systems: the Saka calendar (the national civil calendar), the Islamic Hijri calendar, the Hindu lunisolar calendar, and the Gregorian civil calendar. Holidays fall on different astronomical bases - Republic Day and Independence Day use the Gregorian, Diwali uses the Hindu lunisolar, Eid uses the Islamic lunar. This multi-calendar character distinguishes the Indian system from Western European systems.
Religious and ethnic composition
India is roughly 80% Hindu, 13% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 2% Sikh, 1% Buddhist, 0.7% Jain, and 1% other. The public holiday calendar reflects each major religious tradition at the federal or state level: Hindu festivals (Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Pongal, Buddha Purnima/Vesak), Muslim festivals (Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Milad-un-Nabi), Christian (Christmas), Sikh (Guru Nanak Jayanti, Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti), Buddhist (Buddha Purnima), Jain (Mahavir Jayanti), and Parsi (Parsi New Year).
Hindu lunisolar holidays - the largest cultural block
Diwali (5 days), Holi, Navratri/Dussehra (10 days), Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Pongal, Makar Sankranti - these are the Hindu festivals observed across large swaths of the country, often with regional variations. Diwali and Holi alone routinely generate 1-2 week holiday windows in commercial and educational calendars. Many Hindu festivals have regional super-presence: Ganesh Chaturthi (Maharashtra), Onam (Kerala), Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Saraswati Puja (West Bengal and Odisha), Durga Puja (West Bengal).
Muslim lunar holidays
India has the world's third-largest Muslim population (~200 million), and the Indian calendar observes three federal Muslim holidays: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan), Eid al-Adha (during Hajj), and Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad's birthday). The dates move with the Islamic lunar calendar. School calendars and government schedules vary by state.
Regional and religious distinctiveness
Each state has a distinct holiday profile. Punjab observes Sikh festivals heavily (Guru Nanak Jayanti, Baisakhi, Lohri). Kerala has the most distinctive calendar (Onam, Vishu, Christmas - Kerala has a significant Christian community). West Bengal's calendar centers on Durga Puja. Assam has Bihu. The Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh calendars are heavily Hindu and regional-cultural. The pattern is pluralistic by state.
Recent shifts and contested history
The BJP-led governments have emphasized Hindu festivals in national messaging and made attempts to add Hindu festivals to some state and central calendars; the Bihar state government added Chhath Puja and three additional Hindu holidays in 2022. The Indian Constitution explicitly guarantees religious freedom and does not establish a state religion, so the holiday calendar must balance religious pluralism with regional majorities.
Where the holidays come from culturally
The Indian holiday calendar reflects three layers. Layer 1 (pre-modern): festivals from Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh traditions. Layer 2 (colonial-modern): Christian observances, Muslim holidays, and civic observances (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti). Layer 3 (post-independence): national civic holidays and formal recognition of regional state festivals. The Indian system is one of the most pluralistic public calendars in the world.
The Saka calendar and the Indian civil calendar
India uses the Saka calendar as its national civil calendar alongside the Gregorian calendar. The Saka calendar is a lunisolar calendar starting from the Saka era (78 CE, the ascension of the Satavahana king Shalivahana). The official Saka year in 2026 is 1948. Gazette notifications, government documents, and the Indian Astronomical Ephemeris use the Saka calendar. Republic Day (January 26) and Independence Day (August 15) use the Gregorian calendar; Diwali uses the Hindu lunisolar calendar; Eid al-Fitr uses the Hijri calendar. This is one of the few countries where three or more calendar systems operate officially.
National vs state gazetted holidays - the layered model
India's holiday system has three layers: gazetted (mandatory for central government employees, observed by banks), state gazetted (observed by state government offices), and restricted holidays (optional, government employees may take). Central government gazetted holidays include the three national days (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti), major religious festivals (Diwali, Holi, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Christmas, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Mahavir Jayanti), and a handful of civic days. State governments often add their own religious and regional holidays - Kerala adds Onam, Tamil Nadu adds Pongal, Maharashtra adds Ganesh Chaturthi. The total number of government holidays varies from 16-25 per state per year.
Bank holidays and operational closure
Under the Negotiable Instruments Act, banks in India observe all central-government gazetted holidays. The Reserve Bank of India publishes an annual holiday calendar. Most businesses follow the bank holiday calendar - effectively a federal-standard subset of religious and civic holidays. National holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti) see near-total operational closure including government offices, banks, schools, and most private businesses. State-level gazetted holidays see operational closure in that state only. Restricted holidays see partial closure.
Major holiday briefs on this page
Each of the holidays discussed on this regional overview has a full standalone brief covering its origins, observance practices, and modern controversies: