Popular Hindu Festivals & Holidays 2026 List

Indian Hindu Calendar 2026: India is a country with many different religions and cultures, and it celebrates a wide range of festivals with great excitement. These religious holidays follow a lunisolar calendar, which takes into account the positions of the Moon and Sun. Most festivals and holidays are celebrated on specific lunar dates, while some are based on solar dates.

In 2026, several popular Hindu festivals will be celebrated. Some of the most prominent include Holi, Diwali, Navratri, and Janmashtami. These festivals are observed with great enthusiasm throughout India and by Hindu communities around the world.

January 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 01 Jan (Thursday) -   New Year's Day    Optional Holiday
• 13 Jan (Tuesday) -  Lohri    Optional Holiday
• 14 Jan (Wednesday) -   Makar Sankranti    Optional Holiday
• 14 Jan (Wednesday) -   Magh Bihu    Optional Holiday
• 14 Jan (Wednesday) -   Pongal    Optional Holiday
• 23 Jan (Friday) -   Basant Panchami    Optional Holiday
• 26 Jan (Monday) -   Republic Day    Gazetted Holiday

February 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 01 Feb (Sunday) -   Thaipusam    Optional Holiday Many Regions
• 15 Feb (Sunday) -   Maha Shivaratri    Gazetted Holiday
• 19 Feb (Thuday) -   Shivaji Jayanti    Optional Holiday
• 23 Feb (Monday) -  Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti    Optional Holiday

March 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 03 Mar (Tuesday)    Holika Dahan    Optional Holiday
• 04 Mar (Wednesday)    Holi    Gazetted Holiday
• 19 Mar (Thursday)    Chaitra Sukhladi    Optional Holiday
• 19 Mar (Thursday)    Cheti Chand    Optional Holiday
• 19 Mar (Thursday)    Ugadi    Optional Holiday
• 19 Mar (Thursday)    Gudi Padava    Optional Holiday
• 26 Mar (Thuesday)    Rama Navami    Gazetted Holiday
• 31 Mar (Tuesday)    Mahavir Jayanti    Gazetted Holiday

April 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 02 Apr (Thursday) -  Hanuman Jayanti    Optional Holiday
• 10 April (Friday) -   Hindi New Year    Optional Holiday
• 14 Apr (Tuesday)    Vishu    Optional Holiday
• 14 Apr (Tuesday)    Vaisakhi / Baisakhi    Optional Holiday
• 14 Apr (Tuesday)    Tamil New Year    Optional Holiday
• 15 Apr (Wednesday)   Bengali New Year /  Bohag Bihu    Optional Holiday
• 15 Apr (Wednesday)    Vaisakhadi (Bengal)    Optional Holiday
• 19 April (Sunday) - Akshaya Tritiya    Optional Holiday

May 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 01 May (Friday)    Buddha Purnima/Vesak    Gazetted Holiday
• 16 May (Saturday)    Savitri Pooja   Optional Holiday

July 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 16 July Thursday    Jagannath Rath Yatra
• 25 July Saturday    Ashadhi Ekadashi
• 29 July Wednesday    Guru Purnima

August 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 15 August Saturday    Hariyali Teej, Independence Day
• 17 August Monday    Nag Panchami
• 19 August (Wednesday) - Tulsidas Jayanti - Shravana, Shukla Saptami
• 26 August Wednesday    Onam/Thiruvonam
• 28 August Friday    Raksha Bandhan
• 28 August Friday    Varalakshmi Vrat
• 31 August Monday    Kajari Teej

September 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 04 Sep (Friday) -    Janmashtami    
• 14 Sep (Monday) -    Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayaka Chaturthi    Optional Holiday
• 17 Sep (Thursday) -    Vishwakarma Puja    Optional Holiday
• 25 Sep (Friday) -    Anant Chaturdashi

October 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 02 Oct (Friday) -    Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti    Gazetted Holiday
• 10 Oct (Saturday) -  Mahalaya Amavasya
• 11 Oct (Sunday) -  Sharad Navratri
• 17 Oct (Saturday) -   Maha Saptami    Optional Holiday
• 18 Oct (Sunday) -    Durga Puja Ashtami    Optional Holiday
• 19 Oct (Monday) -    Durga Maha Navami Puja    Optional Holiday
• 20 Oct (Tuesday) -   Dussehra, Sharad Navratri Parana    Gazetted Holiday
• 29 Oct (Thursday) -   Karaka Chaturthi (Karva Chauth)    Optional Holiday
• 25 Oct (Sunday) -     Sharad Purnima    Optional Holiday
• 31 Oct (Saturday) -   Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti    Optional Holiday

November 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 06 Nov (Friday)    Dhanteras    Optional Holiday
• 08 Nov (Sunday)    Diwali/Deepavali    Gazetted Holiday
• 08 Nov (Sunday)    Naraka Chaturdasi    Optional Holiday
• 09 Nov (Monday)    Govardhan Puja    Optional Holiday
• 11 Nov (Wednesday)    Bhai Duj    Optional Holiday
• 15 Nov (Sunday)    Chhat Puja (Pratihar Sashthi/Surya Sashthi)    Optional Holiday
• 24 Nov (Tuesday)    Kartik Poornima

December 2026 Festival/​Holiday Date

• 16 Dec (Wednesday) - Dhanu Sankranti
• 20 Dec (Sunday) -  Geeta Jayanti

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