west bengal government holiday list 2026 with calendar pdf download

The Governor is pleased to declare the Public Holidays, State Government Office Holidays, and Sectional Holidays for the year 2026.

List-I: Public Holidays in 2026 under the N. I. Act

(Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881)

Occasion	Date	Day
New Year’s Day	1st January	Thursday
Birthday of Swami Vivekananda	12th January	Monday
Netaji’s Birthday	23rd January	Friday
Saraswati Puja [Sree Panchami]	23rd January	Friday
Republic Day	26th January	Monday
Doljatra	3rd March	Tuesday
(**) Eid-Ul-Fitr	21st March	Saturday
Ram Navami	26th March	Thursday
Mahavir Jayanti	31st March	Tuesday
Good Friday	3rd April	Friday
Birthday of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar	14th April	Tuesday
Bengali New Year’s Day (Nababarsha)	15th April	Wednesday
May Day	1st May	Friday
Buddha Purnima	1st May	Friday
(**) Birthday of Rabindranath Tagore	9th May	Saturday
Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid)	27th May	Wednesday
Muharram	26th June	Friday
(**) Independence Day	15th August	Saturday
Janmastami	4th September	Friday
Birthday of Gandhiji	2nd October	Friday
(**) Mahalaya	10th October	Saturday
Durga Puja, Maha Astami	19th October	Monday
Durga Puja, Maha Nabami	20th October	Tuesday
Durga Puja, Dasami	21st October	Wednesday
Bhratridwitiya	11th November	Wednesday
Birthday of Guru Nanak	24th November	Tuesday
Christmas Day	25th December	Friday

Yearly Closing of Bank Account

• Date: 1st April (Wednesday)

• Note: For Banks only. Government Offices and Treasuries will remain open.

List-II: Holidays under the Order of State Government in 2026

(Offices under the Government of West Bengal shall be closed on these days, with exceptions for the Registrar of Assurances and Collector of Stamp Revenue, Kolkata)

Occasion	Date	Day
Day before Saraswati Puja	22nd January	Thursday
Shab-e-Barat	4th February	Wednesday
(**) Birthday of Thakur Panchanan Barma	14th February	Saturday
Holi (Day after Doljatra)	4th March	Wednesday
Birth Day of Shri Shri Harichand Thakur (Madhu Krishna Troyodashi Tithi)	17th March	Tuesday
Day before Eid-Ul-Fitr	20th March	Friday
Day before Id-Ud-Zoha (Bakrid)	26th May	Tuesday
Birthday of Poet Bhanu Bhakt (for Darjeeling & Kalimpong District only)	13th July	Monday
Rathayatra	16th July	Thursday
Fateha-Dwaz-Daham	26th August	Wednesday
Rakhi Bandhan	28th August	Friday
Viswakarma Puja	17th September	Thursday
Durga Puja, Maha Chaturthi	15th October	Thursday
Durga Puja, Maha Panchami	16th October	Friday
(**) Durga Puja, Maha Shashthi	17th October	Saturday
Additional Day for Durga Puja	22nd October	Thursday
Additional Day for Durga Puja	23rd October	Friday
(**) Additional Day for Durga Puja	24th October	Saturday
Additional Day for Lakshmi Puja	26th October	Monday
Additional Day for Kali Puja	9th November	Monday
Additional Day for Kali Puja	10th November	Tuesday
Day after Bhratridwitiya	12th November	Thursda
Additional Day for Chhat Puja	16th November	Monday
Karam Puja	To be notified later

Notes on Specific Birthdays and Festivals:

• Birthday of Bir Chilarai: Observed as a holiday for North Bengal Districts. In 2026, it falls on 1st February (Sunday), which is already a holiday under the N.I. Act.

• Birthday of Pandit Raghunath Murmu: Falls on 1st May (Friday), which is a holiday under the N.I. Act.

• Parshwanath’s Rathajatra: Falls on 24th November (Tuesday), which is a holiday under the N.I. Act.

List-III: Sectional Holidays in 2026

Occasion	Date	Day	Applicability
Easter Saturday	4th April	Saturday	For Christians only
Hul Diwas	30th June	Tuesday	For Adibasi (Santhal) only

Note on Sectional Holidays:

• Birthday of Guru Rabidas: Falls on 1st February (Sunday), which is a holiday under the N.I. Act, hence not shown separately.

General Notes

1. Sundays : Sundays are holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act67.

2. Festivals Falling on Sundays : The following festivals fall on Sundays in 2026 (which are Public Holidays under N.I. Act) and are therefore not included in the lists above :

• Shivaratri: 15th February, Sunda

• Durga Puja, Maha Saptami: 18th October, Sunda

• Lakshmi Puja: 25th October, Sunda

• Kali Puja: 8th November, Sunday

• Chhat Puja: 15th November, Sunday

• Birthday of Birsa Munda: 15th November, Sunday

3. Meaning of Double Asterisks ():**

The holiday with double asterisk marks (**) is applicable to those Government Offices only where Saturdays are not observed as a full holiday75.

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General Instructions for All Holidays

(Including Muslim Festivals) ⁷⁶

1. No Substitute Holidays: No substitute holiday shall be allowed if a notified festival holiday falls on a weekly off, any other non-working day, or if more than one festival falls on the same day⁷⁷.

2. Moon Sighting Changes: If there is any change in the date of Eid-Ul-Fitr, Id-Ud-Zoha, Muharram, Fateha-Dwaz-Daham, or Shab-e-Barat depending on the moon sighting, the holiday will be declared by a separate order for the actual date observed⁷⁸.

3. Short Notice Announcements: Changes may be notified at short notice. Announcements through T.V., A.I.R., or Newspapers may be acted upon by Heads of Department/Offices without waiting for a formal order⁷⁹.