India Public Holidays

Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2010-December 2011 period.

(a) * Only the secular holidays of Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday are universally observed. Public holidays in India tend to be observed on a strictly regional basis. The above dates are Government of India holidays, when government offices will be closed nationwide. In addition, there are numerous festivals and fairs which are also observed in some states as holidays, the dates of which change from year to year. For more details, contact Incredible India (see Contact Addresses). (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. (c) Although not government official holidays, Christmas Day (25 Dec) and New Year's Day (1 Jan) are widely observed nationally.