Many American visitors are frustrated when they find a business trip interrupted by an unexpected holiday in India since the country celebrates Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Christian festivals. In addition, national holidays include Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi’s Birthday. The guide below lists holidays announced by the Union (Federal or Central) Government for 2015. Note that additional mandatory holidays are declared by various state governments of India’s 29 states. This list is only a guide and data is not guaranteed.
Gazetted Holidays for 2015 (when all Union Government offices are closed)
The items listed in bold are also national holidays when virtually all federal and state government offices and all banks, retailers and companies are also closed. Vital services such as transport and hospitals do function.
Id-E-Milad
- Jan 4
Republic Day
- Jan 26
Holi
- March 6
Ram Navami
- March 28
Mahavir Jayanti
- April 2
Good Friday
- April 3
Buddha Purnima
- May 4
Idu’l Fitr
- July 18
Independence Day
- August 15
Janmashtami
- September 5
Id-ul-Zuha (Bakr-id)
- September 25
Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday
- October 2
Dussehra/Durga Pooja
- October 22
Muharram
- October 24
Diwali
- November 11
Guru Nanak’s Birthday
- November 25
Christmas
- December 25
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Restricted Holidays for 2014
Government Employees can also choose to take a limited number of the following holidays (but offices stay open).
- January 1: New Year’s Day
- January 14: Makar Sankranti
- January 15: Pongal
- January 24: Basant Panchami/Sri Panchami
- February 3: Guru Ravidas’s Birthday
- February 14: Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti
- February 17: Maha Shivaratri
- February 19: Shivaji Jayanti
- March 5: Holika Dahan
- March 21: Chaitra Suldadi/Gudi Padava/Ugadi/Cheti Chand
- April 5: Easter Sunday
- April 14: Vaisakhi/Vishu/Masadi
- April 15: Vaisakhadi
- May 3: Hazarat Ali’s Birthday
- May 9: Guru Rabindranath’s Birthday
- July 17: Jamat-Ul-Vida
- July 18: Rath Yatra
- August 18: Parsi New Year’s Day/Nauroz
- August 28: Onam
- August 29: Raksha Bandhan
- September 17: Vinayaka Chaturthi/Ganesh Chaturthi
- October 20: Dussehra (Maha Saptami)
- October 21: Dussehra (Maha Ashtami)
- October 22: Dussehra (Maha Navmi)
- October 27: Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday
- October 30: Karaka Chaturthi (Karva Chouth)
- November 10: Little Deepavali
- November 12: Govardhan Puja
- November 13: Bhai Duj
- November 17: Chhat Puja
- November 24: Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day
- December 24: Christmas Eve
