India is country with many holidays and festivals. India's holidays have two main types: gazetted holidays (mandatory holidays) and restricted holidays (up to the employee to decide whether or not to take leave).
Holidays in India in 2024
| 2024 Date | Holiday/Festival Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | New Year's Day | |
| Jan 5 | Guru Govind Singh Jayanti | A Sikh festival, birthday of the tenth Guru |
| Jan 13 | Lohri | A winter harvest festival, celebrated primarily in northern India |
| Jan 15 | Pongal | A popular harvest festival in South India |
| Jan 15 | Makar Sankranti | A Hindu harvest festival; flying kites is one of the celebrations |
| Jan 24 | Hazarat Ali's Birthday | An Islamic holiday |
| Jan 26 | Republic Day | To commemorate the birth of the Indian Constitution |
| Feb 10 | Lunar New Year | Celebrated by Chinese in India |
| Feb 14 | Vasant Panchami | A Hindu festival marking the preparation of the coming of spring |
| Feb 19 | Shivaji Jayanti | Birthday of the great Maratha king, Shivaji |
| Feb 24 | Guru Ravidas Jayanti | In honor of the guru whose efforts aided in eradicating the caste system |
| Mar 5 | Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti | Commemoration of the founder of the Vedic dharma reform movement |
| March 8 | Maha Shivaratri | a Hindu festival; in honor of the god Shiva |
| Mar 17 | Holika Dahan | The night before Holi |
| Mar 25 | Dolyatra | A festival of colors, like Holi, celebrated in West Bengal |
| Mar 25 | Holi | A Hindu festival; to celebrate the victory of good over evil |
| Mar 28 | Maundy Thursday | Commemorates the Last Supper |
| March 29 | Good Friday | A Christian holiday; to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary |
| Mar 31 | Easter Day | Commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ |
| Apr 5 | Jamat Ul-Vida | The last Friday of the month of Ramadan |
| Apr 9 | Ugadi | Hindu New Year |
| Apr 9 | Gudi Padwa | Traditional new year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus |
| Apr 10 | Eid ul-Fitr | An Islamic holiday; marks the end of Ramadan |
| Apr 13 | Vaisakhi | A harvest festival in the Punjab region of northern India |
| Apr 14 | Mesadi | A festival for the harvest season |
| Apr 14 | Ambedkar Jayanti | To commemorate Ambedkar, 'father' of the Constitution of India |
| Apr 17 | Rama Navami | A Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama, a Hindu god |
| Apr 21 | Mahavir Jayanti | A Jainist festival; to celebrate the birth of Mahavira (the founder of Jainism) |
| May 23 | Buddha Jayanti | A Buddhist holiday; Buddha's birthday |
| Jun 17 | Eid ul-Adha | An Islamic holiday |
| Jul 8 | Rath Yatra | A Hindu festival; the festival of chariots |
| Jul 17 | Muharram | Islamic New Year |
| Jul 21 | Guru Purnima | A festival where many Hindus and Buddhists pay respect to their Guru or spiritual guide |
| Jul 30 | Friendship Day | Celebrating friendship |
| Aug 15 | Independence Day | To celebrate India's national independence in 1947 |
| Aug 15 | Parsi New Year | Zoroastrian New Year |
| Aug 19 | Raksha Bandhan | To celebrate the love between brothers and sisters |
| Aug 26 | Krishna Janmashtami | A Hindu festival; to celebrate the birth of Krishna |
| Sep 5 –17 | Onam | Biggest festival in Kerala; a harvest festival commemorating mythical King Mahabali lasting for ten days |
| Sep 7 | Ganesh Chaturthi | Celebrating the birth of the elephant-headed deity Ganesha |
| Sep 16 | Milad un-Nabi | An Islamic holiday; Muhammad's birthday |
| Oct 2 | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | Mahatma Gandhi's birthday |
| Oct 3 – 12 | Sharad Navratri | Honoring the Hindu mother goddess, Durga |
| Oct 12 | Dussehra | A Hindu festival; to celebrates the victory of good over evil |
| Oct 20 | Karaka Chaturthi | Celebrated by married Hindu women to pray for the well-being and longevity of their husbands |
| Oct 31 | Halloween | |
| Nov 1 | Diwali | To celebrate the victory of light over darkness |
| Nov 2 | Govardhan Puja | Expressing appreciation and respect towards Mother Nature |
| Nov 3 | Bhai Dooj | Brothers give gifts to their sisters; similar to Raksha Bandhan |
| Nov 7 –10 | Chhat Puja | For showing gratitude and thankfulness for the bounties of life on earth |
| Nov 15 | Guru Nanak Jayanti | To commemorate Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism |
| Nov 24 | Guru Tegh Bahadur's Martyrdom Day | A Sikh festival |
| Dec 25 | Christmas | |
| Dec 31 | New Year's Eve |
Travel Tips for the India Holidays
fireworks in Delhi during the India Holidays Indian festivals and holidays are always loud, intense, colorful, chaotic, and exciting. During India's public holidays, tourist attractions, hotels, and transportation are at their most crowded.
- Plan and book your trip at least 2 months in advance to avoid hotels, flights, and tourist attractions being fully booked. You can contact our travel advisors for assistance with your planning.
- Prepare yourself for massive crowds. Popular attractions are much busier than usual during the public holidays.
- Cover yourself and dress appropriately to show respect, as most holidays in India have historical or religious significance.
- Use a professional travel agency and travel advisors to help you plan an India trip during India public holidays to avoid any potential set backs.
See more on How to Plan an India Trip.
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