India’s Public Holidays in 2017

Posted by Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Dezan Shira & Associates

The government has announced its holiday schedule for 2017. The schedule is divided across three classifications: gazetted, restricted, as well as state and union territory. Gazetted holidays are mandatory, restricted holidays are optional, and state and union territory holidays are local.

Many foreign human resource managers struggle with India’s holiday schedule. That is no surprise: the federal and state governments have acknowledged a number of holidays every month to accommodate over 1.2 billion people spread over 37 diverse states and union territories.

Although there are many ways to manage this schedule, many businesses in India close offices on the gazetted holidays and grant employees several optional holidays that they may select to observe a non-gazetted holiday of their choosing. Other businesses simply mirror the holiday schedule observed by the management of their office building.

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Gazetted holidays for 2017
  • January 26: Republic Day
  • February 24: Maha Shivaratri
  • March 13: Holi
  • April 4: Ram Navami
  • April 9: Mahavir Jayanti
  • April 14: Good Friday
  • May 10: Buddha Purmima
  • June 26: Idu’l Fitr
  • August 15: Independence Day
  • September 2: Id-ul-Zuha
  • September 30: Dussehra
  • October 1: Muharram
  • October 2: Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday
  • October 19: Diwali
  • November 4: Guru Nanak’s Birthday
  • December 2: Id-e-Milad
  • December 25: Christmas Day

Please note that a number of these holidays occur on the weekend, including: Mahavir Jayanti, Id-ul-Zuha, Dussehra, Muharram, Guru Nanak’s Birthday, and Id-e-Milad.

Non-gazzetted holidays for 2017
  • January 1: New Year’s Day
  • January 5: Guru Govind Singh’s Birthday
  • January 14: Makar Sakranti
  • January 14: Pongal
  • February 1: Basant Panchami/Sri Panchami
  • February 10: Guru Ravidas’ Birthday
  • February 19: Shivaji Jayanti
  • February 21: Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti
  • March 12: Holika Dahan/Dolyatra
  • March 28: Chaitra Sukladi/Gudi Padava/Ugadi/Cheti Chand
  • April 11: Hazarat Ali’s Birthday
  • April 13: Vaisakhi/Vishu
  • April 15: Vaisakhadi/Bahag Bihu
  • April 16: Easter Sunday
  • April 17: Guru Rabindranath
  • June 23: Jamat-Ul-Vida
  • June 25: Rath Yatra
  • August 7: Raksha Bandhan
  • August 17: Parsi New Year/Nauraj
  • August 25: Vinayaka Chaturthi/Ganesh Chaturthi
  • September 4: Onam
  • September 27: Maha Saptami
  • September 28: Maha Ashtami
  • September 29: Maha Navmi
  • October 5: Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday
  • October 8: Karaka Chaturthi
  • October 18: Deepavali
  • October 18: Naraka Chaturdasi
  • October 20: Govardhan Puja
  • October 21: Bhai Duj
  • October 26: Pratihar Sasthi
  • November 24: Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day
  • December 24: Christmas Eve

Please note that a number of these holidays occur on the weekend, including: New Year’s Day, Makar Sakranti, Pongal, Basant Panchami/Sri Panchami, Shivaji Jayanti, Holika Dahan/Dolyatra, Vaisakhadi/Bahag Bihu, Easter Sunday, Rath Yatra, Karaka Chaturthi, Bhai duj, and Christmas Eve.

Related Link Icon-IB RELATED: India Announces 2015 Holiday Schedule

State and union territory holidays

The list of state and union territory holidays is quite large. Please follow the hyperlink to review local holidays that apply to your place of business.

In addition to office closures, governments in state and union territories often observe “dry days” or days when the sale of alcohol is not permitted, on gazetted and state and union territory holidays. Dry days also routinely occur on local election dates.


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