Today Special Day in India: 2026 Holidays, Festivals & Important Days
Every day on the Indian calendar carries some meaning. It may be a national holiday, a festival, a birth anniversary or a day set aside to honour soldiers, farmers or teachers. If you want to know what makes…
Every day on the Indian calendar carries some meaning. It may be a national holiday, a festival, a birth anniversary or a day set aside to honour soldiers, farmers or teachers. If you want to know what makes today special in India, this guide puts the full 2026 calendar in one place: the 17 gazetted holidays, the restricted (optional) holidays and the most important national and international days, month by month.
The holiday dates below come from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum F.No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 3 July 2025, which fixes the holiday list for Central Government offices in Delhi and New Delhi. States, banks and private employers publish their own lists, so always check your local calendar too.
What Is a “Special Day” in India?
India marks its special days in three broad ways:
- National holidays: Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October). These are the only three days observed as holidays across the whole country.
- Gazetted and restricted holidays: Festivals and anniversaries notified by the Centre. Gazetted holidays close all Central Government offices. Restricted holidays are optional, and each employee can pick two from the list.
- Observance days: Days such as National Science Day or Constitution Day. Offices stay open, but schools, government bodies and organisations hold events and campaigns.
Gazetted Holidays in India 2026 (Central Government, Delhi/New Delhi)
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January | Monday | Republic Day |
| 4 March | Wednesday | Holi |
| 21 March | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr |
| 26 March | Thursday | Ram Navami |
| 31 March | Tuesday | Mahavir Jayanti |
| 3 April | Friday | Good Friday |
| 1 May | Friday | Buddha Purnima |
| 27 May | Wednesday | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) |
| 26 June | Friday | Muharram |
| 15 August | Saturday | Independence Day |
| 26 August | Wednesday | Milad-un-Nabi (Id-e-Milad) |
| 4 September | Friday | Janmashtami (Vaishnava) |
| 2 October | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday |
| 20 October | Tuesday | Dussehra |
| 8 November | Sunday | Diwali (Deepavali) |
| 24 November | Tuesday | Guru Nanak’s Birthday |
| 25 December | Friday | Christmas Day |
Good to know: Id-ul-Fitr (21 March), Independence Day (15 August) and Diwali (8 November) fall on a weekend in 2026, and DoPT rules do not allow a substitute holiday in such cases. Dates for Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad can shift by a day depending on the sighting of the moon. The Centre also declared a holiday on 14 April 2026 for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary through a separate DoPT order dated 9 April 2026.
Central Government offices outside Delhi follow 14 compulsory holidays and choose three more from a list of 12 regional festivals, such as Holi, Onam, Pongal, Makar Sankranti and Chhath Puja. This choice is made by the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee in each state capital.
Restricted (Optional) Holidays in India 2026
Central Government employees in Delhi can choose any two of these days off:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year’s Day |
| 3 January | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday |
| 14 January | Makar Sankranti; Magha Bihu / Pongal |
| 23 January | Basant Panchami / Sri Panchami |
| 1 February | Guru Ravidas Jayanti |
| 12 February | Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti |
| 15 February | Maha Shivratri |
| 19 February | Shivaji Jayanti |
| 3 March | Holika Dahan; Dolyatra |
| 19 March | Chaitra Sukladi / Gudi Padwa / Ugadi / Cheti Chand |
| 20 March | Jamat-ul-Vida |
| 5 April | Easter Sunday |
| 14 April | Vaisakhi / Vishu / Meshadi (Tamil New Year) |
| 15 April | Vaisakhadi (Bengal) / Bahag Bihu (Assam) |
| 9 May | Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti |
| 16 July | Rath Yatra |
| 15 August | Parsi New Year (Nauraj) |
| 26 August | Onam |
| 28 August | Raksha Bandhan |
| 14 September | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| 18–20 October | Dussehra (Saptami, Mahashtami, Mahanavami) |
| 26 October | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti |
| 29 October | Karva Chauth |
| 8 November | Naraka Chaturdasi |
| 9 November | Govardhan Puja |
| 11 November | Bhai Dooj |
| 15 November | Chhath Puja |
| 24 November | Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day |
| 23 December | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday |
| 24 December | Christmas Eve |
Important Days in India: Month-by-Month Calendar
These observance days fall on the same date every year, so you can use this list in any year to see what is special today.
January
- 9 January: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day)
- 12 January: National Youth Day (Swami Vivekananda Jayanti)
- 15 January: Indian Army Day
- 23 January: Parakram Diwas (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti)
- 24 January: National Girl Child Day
- 25 January: National Voters’ Day
- 26 January: Republic Day
- 30 January: Martyrs’ Day (Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary)
February and March
- 28 February: National Science Day (marking the Raman Effect)
- 4 March: National Safety Day
- 8 March: International Women’s Day
- 15 March: World Consumer Rights Day
- 23 March: Shaheed Diwas (Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev)
April and May
- 7 April: World Health Day
- 14 April: Ambedkar Jayanti
- 24 April: National Panchayati Raj Day
- 1 May: Labour Day; Maharashtra and Gujarat Day
- 11 May: National Technology Day
- 21 May: Anti-Terrorism Day
June and July
- 5 June: World Environment Day
- 21 June: International Day of Yoga
- 1 July: National Doctors’ Day and Chartered Accountants’ Day
- 26 July: Kargil Vijay Diwas
August and September
- 7 August: National Handloom Day
- 15 August: Independence Day
- 23 August: National Space Day (marking Chandrayaan-3’s lunar landing)
- 29 August: National Sports Day (Major Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary)
- 5 September: Teachers’ Day (Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birth anniversary)
- 14 September: Hindi Diwas
- 15 September: Engineers’ Day (Sir M. Visvesvaraya’s birth anniversary)
October
- 2 October: Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti
- 8 October: Indian Air Force Day
- 31 October: Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary)
November and December
- 11 November: National Education Day (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s birth anniversary)
- 14 November: Children’s Day (Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary)
- 26 November: Constitution Day (Samvidhan Diwas)
- 4 December: Indian Navy Day
- 16 December: Vijay Diwas
- 22 December: National Mathematics Day (Srinivasa Ramanujan’s birth anniversary)
- 23 December: Kisan Diwas (Farmers’ Day)
- 25 December: Christmas and Good Governance Day
- 26 December: Veer Bal Diwas
Special Days Coming Up in November and December 2026
The festive season is not over yet. Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026, with Naraka Chaturdasi on the same day, Govardhan Puja on 9 November and Bhai Dooj on 11 November. Chhath Puja follows on 15 November. Guru Nanak Jayanti and Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day both fall on Tuesday, 24 November, and the year closes with Christmas on Friday, 25 December.
A First Look at 2027
DoPT has already notified the 2027 holiday list through an Office Memorandum dated 16 July 2026. It again includes 17 gazetted holidays and 32 restricted holidays for Delhi offices, with employees free to choose two of the latter. Diwali falls on Friday, 29 October 2027, while Independence Day and Id-e-Milad coincide on 15 August 2027.
Why These Days Matter
India’s special days do more than give people a break from work. National holidays remind citizens of the freedom struggle and the Constitution. Festivals such as Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Guru Purab and Onam bring families and neighbours together across faiths. Observance days such as Kisan Diwas, Teachers’ Day and Armed Forces days put the spotlight on people who keep the country running. Whether you are planning leave, a trip home or a school event, knowing the calendar helps you make the most of each one.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many national holidays does India have?
India has three national holidays: Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October).
How many gazetted holidays are there in 2026?
Central Government offices in Delhi and New Delhi observe 17 gazetted holidays in 2026, as per the DoPT order dated 3 July 2025.
What is the difference between a gazetted and a restricted holiday?
A gazetted holiday is a compulsory closure for all Central Government offices. A restricted holiday is optional: offices stay open, and each employee can take any two days off from the restricted list.
When is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026.
Brijesh Sehrawat
Brijesh Sehrawat writes for CEO Review Magazine.
