2026 INDIA HOLIDAYS

2026 Public Holidays India Service

The above is the list of 2026 public holidays declared in India which includes federal, regional government holidays and popular observances. We also provide India holiday calendar for 2026 in Word, Excel, PDF and printable online formats.

India is the second populated nation in the world. For this reason, it has diverse cultural practices that are celebrated in various holidays. India has several holidays, but three are recognized as the main national holidays. Those three includes; Republic day in honor of the day India's constitution came into effect, Independence Day honors the day Indians got independence from the United Kingdom, and Gandhi Jayanti to honor the birth, Mahatma Gandhi.

On behalf of the central government, the Ministry of Personnel announces the days to celebrate national holidays yearly. The rest of the holidays are given at the states level. Each state has a right to choose holidays based on their religious beliefs and cultural diversities.

The set labor laws of India require that all the employees are given a paid day off for three national holidays. During these days, all business and government offices are closed. However, transport remains operational. There are several religious groups in India, but Hinduism is the dominant religion with 80% of the population observing it. These religious groups have different holidays celebrated annually. Hindus celebrate several holidays yearly. The most celebrated Hindus holiday is Bhogi/Lori. The celebrations are marked with intense celebrations, shouts, and dances. The rest of religious groups are Islamists, Christians, Buddhism, Jainism, and Judaism. Each of the groups marks their holidays differently on various set dates of the year.

The most celebrated national holiday in India is the Independence Day. The day is observed nationwide. During this day, Indians celebrate with cultural dances, songs, and military shows. The day is seen as a source of unity and peace.