Bihar Holidays 2026
Every 2026 holiday in Bihar on one page: state government public and restricted holidays, bank holidays, central government and school holidays.
How holidays work in Bihar
Three lists decide who gets a day off in Bihar. The state government notifies its own list every year, usually in November or December for the following year. For 2026 it has 34 public holidays on which state government offices are closed, and 20 restricted holidays, from which each employee may take only a small number.
Banks follow the Reserve Bank of India list for its Patna office: 20 bank holidays in 2026, on top of every Sunday and the second and fourth Saturday of each month. A bank holiday also stops cheque clearing, so payments due that day move to the next working day.
Central government offices in Bihar follow the national list of the Department of Personnel and Training: 14 compulsory holidays for the whole country, three more chosen for each state by the central government employees' coordination committee in its capital, and two restricted holidays of each employee's choice. Schools follow the education department's own calendar, which adds summer and winter vacations.
10 of this year's state holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday, so no extra day off is given for them. Dates of Muslim festivals depend on the sighting of the moon and can move by a day; the government announces any change a day or two before.
List of holidays in Bihar 2026
"Closed" shows who gets the day off. Gazetted means the state or central government offices close; restricted holidays are optional days for state government staff.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Closed | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 | Thursday |  New Year's Day |
Restricted | |
| 14 Jan 2026 | Wednesday |  Makar Sankranti |
School holiday | |
| 23 Jan 2026 | Friday |  Basant Panchami |
Gazetted | |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Saturday |  Karpoori Thakur Jayanti |
Restricted | |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Monday |  Republic Day |
Gazetted | |
| 1 Feb 2026 | Sunday |  Guru Ravidas Jayanti |
Gazetted | |
| 4 Feb 2026 | Wednesday | Shab-e-Baratmoon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 15 Feb 2026 | Sunday |  Maha Shivratri |
Gazetted | |
| 2 Mar 2026 | Monday |  Holika Dahan |
Restricted | |
| 3 Mar 2026 | Tuesday |  Holi |
Gazetted | |
| 4 Mar 2026 | Wednesday | Holi |
Gazetted | |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Friday | Eid-ul-Fitrmoon sighting | School holiday | |
| 21 Mar 2026 | Saturday | Eid-ul-Fitrmoon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 22 Mar 2026 | Sunday |  Bihar Diwas / Eid-ul-Fitrmoon sighting |
Gazetted | |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Thursday |  Samrat Ashok Ashtami |
Gazetted | |
| 27 Mar 2026 | Friday |  Ram Navami |
Gazetted | |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Tuesday |  Mahavir Jayanti |
Gazetted | |
| 1 Apr 2026 | Wednesday | Annual closing of bank accounts | Bank holiday | |
| 3 Apr 2026 | Friday |  Good Friday |
Gazetted | |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Tuesday |  Ambedkar Jayanti |
Gazetted | |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Thursday |  Veer Kunwar Singh Jayanti |
Gazetted | |
| 25 Apr 2026 | Saturday |  Janaki Navami (Sita Navami) |
Gazetted | |
| 1 May 2026 | Friday |  May Day (Labour Day) /  Buddha Purnima |
Gazetted | |
| 27 May 2026 | Wednesday | Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid)moon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 28 May 2026 | Thursday | Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid)moon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 29 May 2026 | Friday | Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid)moon sighting | Restricted | |
| 18 Jun 2026 | Thursday |  Anugrah Narayan Sinha Jayanti |
Restricted | |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Friday | Muharram (Ashura)moon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 27 Jun 2026 | Saturday | Muharram (Ashura)moon sighting | Restricted | |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Monday |  Kabir Jayanti |
Gazetted | |
| 4 Aug 2026 | Tuesday | Chehlummoon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 15 Aug 2026 | Saturday |  Independence Day |
Gazetted | |
| 24 Aug 2026 | Monday |  Shravani Somvar (Sawan Monday) |
School holiday | |
| 26 Aug 2026 | Wednesday | Milad-un-Nabi (Eid-e-Milad)moon sighting | Gazetted | |
| 28 Aug 2026 | Friday |  Raksha Bandhan |
School holiday | |
| 4 Sep 2026 | Friday |  Janmashtami |
Gazetted | |
| 14 Sep 2026 | Monday |  Hartalika Teej |
School holiday | |
| 17 Sep 2026 | Thursday |  Vishwakarma Puja |
Restricted | |
| 25 Sep 2026 | Friday |  Anant Chaturdashi |
School holiday | |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Friday |  Gandhi Jayanti |
Gazetted | |
| 4 Oct 2026 | Sunday |  Jivitputrika Vrat (Jitiya) |
Restricted | |
| 5 Oct 2026 | Monday | Jivitputrika Vrat (Jitiya) |
School holiday | |
| 11 Oct 2026 | Sunday |  Durga Puja /  Jayaprakash Narayan Jayanti |
School holiday | |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Saturday | Durga Puja /  Durga Puja (Maha Saptami) |
Gazetted | |
| 18 Oct 2026 | Sunday | Durga Puja |
Gazetted | |
| 19 Oct 2026 | Monday | Durga Puja |
Gazetted | |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Tuesday | Durga Puja /  Dussehra |
Gazetted | |
| 21 Oct 2026 | Wednesday | Durga Puja /  Shri Krishna Singh Jayanti |
Restricted | |
| 8 Nov 2026 | Sunday |  Diwali |
Gazetted | |
| 10 Nov 2026 | Tuesday |  Bhai Dooj |
Gazetted | |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Saturday |  Chhath Puja |
Restricted | |
| 15 Nov 2026 | Sunday | Chhath Puja |
Gazetted | |
| 16 Nov 2026 | Monday | Chhath Puja |
Gazetted | |
| 24 Nov 2026 | Tuesday |  Guru Nanak Jayanti /  Kartik Purnima |
Gazetted | |
| 3 Dec 2026 | Thursday |  Dr. Rajendra Prasad Jayanti |
Restricted | |
| 24 Dec 2026 | Thursday |  Christmas Eve /  Christmas |
Restricted | |
| 25 Dec 2026 | Friday | Christmas |
Gazetted |
Bank holidays in Bihar 2026
Under the RBI rule in force since September 2015, all banks close on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. They are shown below with the RBI holidays for Patna. Online banking, UPI and ATMs keep working on bank holidays. See the full bank holiday page.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jan 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 24 Jan 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 26 Jan 2026 | Monday | Republic Day |
| 14 Feb 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 28 Feb 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 3 Mar 2026 | Tuesday | Holi |
| 4 Mar 2026 | Wednesday | Holi |
| 14 Mar 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 21 Mar 2026 | Saturday | Eid-ul-Fitr |
| 27 Mar 2026 | Friday | Ram Navami |
| 28 Mar 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Tuesday | Mahavir Jayanti |
| 1 Apr 2026 | Wednesday | Annual closing of bank accounts |
| 3 Apr 2026 | Friday | Good Friday |
| 11 Apr 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Tuesday | Ambedkar Jayanti |
| 25 Apr 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 1 May 2026 | Friday | Buddha Purnima / May Day (Labour Day) |
| 9 May 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 23 May 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 28 May 2026 | Thursday | Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid) |
| 13 Jun 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Friday | Muharram (Ashura) |
| 27 Jun 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 11 Jul 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 25 Jul 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 8 Aug 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 15 Aug 2026 | Saturday | Independence Day |
| 22 Aug 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 26 Aug 2026 | Wednesday | Milad-un-Nabi (Eid-e-Milad) |
| 4 Sep 2026 | Friday | Janmashtami |
| 12 Sep 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 26 Sep 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 19 Oct 2026 | Monday | Durga Puja |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Tuesday | Durga Puja / Dussehra |
| 24 Oct 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 16 Nov 2026 | Monday | Chhath Puja |
| 28 Nov 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| 12 Dec 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| 25 Dec 2026 | Friday | Christmas |
| 26 Dec 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
Major festivals in Bihar in 2026
- Karpoori Thakur Jayanti Saturday, 24 January 2026
- Republic Day Monday, 26 January 2026 · State Govt, Bank, Central Govt, School closed Republic Day marks the day in 1950 when the Constitution of India came into force and the country became a sovereign democratic republic with an elected head of state.
- Holi Tuesday, 3 March 2026 · State Govt, Bank, School closed Holi is the Hindu spring festival of colours, beginning with the Holika Dahan bonfire on Phalguna Purnima and followed by a day of playing with colour and water.
- Eid-ul-Fitr Friday, 13 March 2026 · School closed Eid ul-Fitr is the festival of breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan, marked by the Eid prayer, charity to the poor, new clothes, sweet seviyan and family visits.
- Bihar Diwas Sunday, 22 March 2026 · State Govt, School closed
- Samrat Ashok Ashtami Thursday, 26 March 2026 · State Govt closed
- Mahavir Jayanti Tuesday, 31 March 2026 · State Govt, Bank, Central Govt, School closed Mahavir Jayanti celebrates the birth of Bhagwan Mahavir, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism, whose teachings on non violence, truth and simple living guide Jains across the world.
- Good Friday Friday, 3 April 2026 · State Govt, Bank, Central Govt, School closed Good Friday is the solemn day on which Christians remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, observed with fasting, prayer and the Way of the Cross.
- Veer Kunwar Singh Jayanti Thursday, 23 April 2026 · State Govt, School closed
- Buddha Purnima Friday, 1 May 2026 · State Govt, Bank, Central Govt, School closed Buddha Purnima marks the birth, enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha, observed on the Vaishakha full moon with prayers, meditation, charity and lamps at viharas across India.
- Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid) Wednesday, 27 May 2026 · Central Govt closed Eid ul-Adha, called Bakrid in India, honours the Prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice for God and is marked with Eid prayers, animal sacrifice and sharing of meat with the poor.
- Anugrah Narayan Sinha Jayanti Thursday, 18 June 2026
- Jayaprakash Narayan Jayanti Sunday, 11 October 2026 · School closed
- Shri Krishna Singh Jayanti Wednesday, 21 October 2026
- Chhath Puja Saturday, 14 November 2026 Chhath Puja is a four day festival of Bihar and eastern India in which devotees fast and offer arghya to the setting and rising Sun while standing in water.
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Jayanti Thursday, 3 December 2026
Holidays month by month
Organisations in Bihar
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays are there in Bihar in 2026?
The Bihar government has notified 34 public holidays for 2026 on which its offices are closed, plus 20 restricted holidays from which employees choose a limited number.
How many bank holidays are there in Bihar in 2026?
Banks in Bihar are closed on 20 holidays in 2026 under the RBI list for its Patna office, in addition to all Sundays and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.
Are banks in Bihar closed on Saturdays?
Banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. They work on the first, third and fifth Saturdays unless that day is a holiday.
What is the next holiday in Bihar?
The next holiday is Durga Puja / Durga Puja (Maha Saptami) on Saturday, 17 October 2026, when state govt offices are closed.
Is Republic Day a holiday in Bihar in 2026?
Yes. Republic Day falls on Monday, 26 January 2026 and is a holiday for state govt, bank, central govt, school offices in Bihar.
Is Holi a holiday in Bihar in 2026?
Yes. Holi falls on Tuesday, 3 March 2026 and is a holiday for state govt, bank, school offices in Bihar.
Next 60 days in Bihar
- 17 OctSat Durga Puja
-
17 OctSat
Durga Puja / Durga Puja (Maha Saptami)
-
18 OctSun
Durga Puja
-
19 OctMon
Durga Puja
-
20 OctTue
Durga Puja / Dussehra
-
20 OctTue
Dussehra
- 7 NovSat Diwali / Chitragupta Puja / Bhaiya Dooj / Chhath Puja
-
8 NovSun
Diwali
-
10 NovTue
Bhai Dooj
-
15 NovSun
Chhath Puja
-
16 NovMon
Chhath Puja
-
24 NovTue
Guru Nanak Jayanti
-
24 NovTue
Guru Nanak Jayanti / Kartik Purnima
Holidays and festivals calendar: October and November 2026
Public holidays in Bihar (bank, central government, state government and school lists) and major festivals across India. Restricted and minor days are left out.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2
Friday, 2 October Gandhi Jayanti Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India's freedom struggle and the voice of truth and non-violence. |
3 | 4 | |||
| 5
Monday, 5 October Jivitputrika Vrat (Jitiya) |
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
Sunday, 11 October Durga Puja Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura with grand pandals, dhak drums, prayers and feasts, especially in West Bengal and ea... Sharad Navratri Sharad Navratri is the nine night autumn festival of the Goddess Durga, beginning with Ghatasthapana and leading up to Dussehra, with fasting, prayer, garba... |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
Saturday, 17 October Durga Puja / Durga Puja (Maha Saptami) / Durga Puja Durga Puja: Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura with grand pandals, dhak drums, prayers and feasts, especially in West Bengal and ea... Durga Puja (Maha Saptami): Maha Saptami is the first main day of Durga Puja, when the Kola Bou is bathed at dawn and Goddess Durga is formally invoked into the idol in pandals across e... |
18
Sunday, 18 October Durga Puja Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura with grand pandals, dhak drums, prayers and feasts, especially in West Bengal and ea... |
| 19
Monday, 19 October Durga Puja Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura with grand pandals, dhak drums, prayers and feasts, especially in West Bengal and ea... |
20
Tuesday, 20 October Durga Puja / Dussehra Durga Puja: Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura with grand pandals, dhak drums, prayers and feasts, especially in West Bengal and ea... Dussehra: Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, celebrates the victory of good over evil, recalling Lord Rama's defeat of Ravana and Goddess Durga's triumph over Mahishasura. |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Saturday, 7 November Diwali / Chitragupta Puja / Bhaiya Dooj / Chhath Puja |
8
Sunday, 8 November Diwali Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrates the victory of light over darkness with Lakshmi Puja, rows of diyas, sweets and family gatherings on the new moon... |
| 9 | 10
Tuesday, 10 November Bhai Dooj Bhai Dooj closes the Diwali festival, as sisters apply tilak on their brothers' foreheads, feed them and pray for their long life, and brothers give gifts an... |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
Sunday, 15 November Chhath Puja Chhath Puja is a four day festival of Bihar and eastern India in which devotees fast and offer arghya to the setting and rising Sun while standing in water. |
| 16
Monday, 16 November Chhath Puja Chhath Puja is a four day festival of Bihar and eastern India in which devotees fast and offer arghya to the setting and rising Sun while standing in water. |
17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24
Tuesday, 24 November Guru Nanak Jayanti / Kartik Purnima Guru Nanak Jayanti: Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Prakash Purab, celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, with prayers, nagar kirtans, langar and lit up gurdw... Kartik Purnima: Kartik Purnima is the full moon of Kartik, when devotees bathe in holy rivers, offer lamps and celebrate Dev Deepawali, the night Lord Shiva as Tripurari des... |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 |
Public holiday Major festival Today
- Sat, 17 Oct
Durga Puja / Durga Puja (Maha Saptami) / Durga Puja
- Sun, 18 Oct
Durga Puja
- Mon, 19 Oct
Durga Puja
- Tue, 20 Oct
Durga Puja / Dussehra
- Sat, 7 Nov Diwali / Chitragupta Puja / Bhaiya Dooj / Chhath Puja
- Sun, 8 Nov
Diwali
- Tue, 10 Nov
Bhai Dooj
- Sun, 15 Nov
Chhath Puja
- Mon, 16 Nov
Chhath Puja
- Tue, 24 Nov
Guru Nanak Jayanti / Kartik Purnima