[john.sw]

2006

January
01 jan New Year's Day r
05 jan Guru Govind Singh's birthday p
11 jan* Id ul Zuha (Bakrid - Feast of the Sacrifice) p
13 jan Bhogi (Andrah Pradesh)
13 jan Maghi (Sikh)
13 jan Lohri (HP, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi) r
14 jan Makra Sankaranti r
15 jan Kanuma (Andhra Pradesh)
15 jan Pongal
16 jan Thiruvalluvar Day (Tamil Nadu)
25 jan Statehood Day (Himachal Pradesh) p
26 jan Republic Day p
31 jan Guru Har Rai Sahib's birthday (Sikh)

February
02 feb Basanta Panchami / Shree Panchami
05 feb Bhim Ashtami
06 feb Madhva Navami (Karnataka)
09 feb* Muharram (Islamic New Year) r
13 feb Guru Ravi Dass's birthday r
23 feb Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti r
26 feb Maha Shivaratri (Smarta) - main
27 feb Maha Shivaratri (Vaishnav) - Gujarat

March
14 mar Sikh New Year's Day (Nanakshahi calendar)
14 mar Holi (Holika Dahana) r
15 mar Holi / Holika / Medin Poya / Dola Purnima
15 mar Hola Mohalla (Sikh)
21 mar Abayeen (Andhra Pradesh)
22 mar Sheetela Pujanam
30 mar Chaitra Sukhladi / Gudi Padava / Ugadi /
Cheti Chand

April
06 apr Ram Navami p
11 apr Mahavir Jayanti p
11 apr* Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet Mohammed's birthday) r
12 apr Aratt at Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)
13 apr Hanuman Jayanti
13 apr Maundy Thursday (Kerala)
14 apr Tamil New Year (Tamil Nadu)
14 apr Baisakhi (birth anniversary of the Khalsa) r
14 apr Dr B.R. Ambedkar's birthday p
14 apr Good Friday p
14 apr Mesadi
15 apr Vishu
15 apr Vaiskhadi (Bengal)/ Bahag Bihu (Assam)
15 apr Himachal day (Himachal Pradesh) p
16 apr Easter
18 apr Guru Angad Sahib's birthday (Sikh)
18 apr Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib's birthday (Sikh)
26 apr Basaveshwara Jayanthi (Karnataka)

May
01 may May Day
01 may Maharashtra Day
02 may Guru Arjun Sahib's birthday (Sikh)
10 may Yaz Dahun Shareef (Andhra Pradesh)
11 may Nrisinha Jayanti (Gujarat)
13 may Buddha Purnima p
15 may Dunghri mela (HP, 1st day)
16 may Dunghri mela (HP, 2nd day)
17 may Old Manali mela (as part of Dunghri mela)
23 may Guru Amar Das Sahib's birthday (Sikh)

June
06 jun Ganga Dashami
16 jun Guru Arjan Dev Sahib's Martyrdom Day
22 jun Hazrat Mohd Jonpuri's birthday (AP)
27 jun Rath Yatra

July
05 jul Guru Hargobinds birthday (Sikh)
11 jul Guru Purnima (Vyas pujan)
23 jul Guru Harkrishan Sahib' birthday (Sikh)
24 jul Karkkadaka Vavu (Kerala)
30 jul Nag Panchami (South India)
31 jul Randhan (Gujarat)

August
01 aug Sitala Satan (Gujarat)
03 aug Nori Nem (Gujarat)
04 aug Varalakshmi Vratham (Andhra Pradesh)
08 aug Hazrat Ali's birthday r
09 aug Sravana Purnima (Andhra Pradesh)
09 aug Raksha Bandhan, or Rakhi r
09 aug Avani Avittom (Kerala)
15 aug Independence Day p
16 aug Janmashtami (Smarta) / Sri Krishna Jayanti p
17 aug Janmashtami (Vaishnava)
20 aug Parsi New Year (Shahenshahi)
22 aug Shab-e-Meraj (Andhra Pradesh)
27 aug Varasiddhi Sri Vinayaka Vratha (Karnataka)
27 aug Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi
28 aug Ganesh Chaturthi (2nd day) / Nuakhai (KA)
29 aug Rishi Panchami

September
01 sep First Parkash Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh)
04 sep First Onam (Kerala)
05 sep Onam (Thiru Onam - main Onam)
06 sep Third Onam
07 sep Forth Onam /
Sri Narayana Guru Jayanthi (Kerala)
08 sep Pitr-paksha (start; till 22/09)
08 sep Shab-e-Baraat (Karnataka)
21 sep Sri Narayana Guru Samadhi Day (Kerala)
21 sep Shastradi hatanam (Shraddha)
22 sep Mahalaya Amavasya (Andhra Pradesh)
22 sep Sarva Pitri shraddha
23 sep Navaratri (start; till 01/10)
29 sep Dussehra (Maha Saptami) r
29 sep Saraswati Puja (part of Navratri)
30 sep Dussehra (Maha Ashtami) r

October
01 oct Dussehra (Maha Navami)
02 oct Gandhi Jayanti p
02 oct Dussehra (Vijay Dashami) p
02 oct 1st day of Kullu Dussehra (HP). Probably till 09 oct. The Gods parade from the Palace at Sultanpur to Dhalpur ground for the 'running of the Gods'.
07 oct Maharishi Valmiki's birthday p
09 oct Guru Ramdas Sahib's birthday (Sikh)
10 oct Karva Chauth
19 oct Dhan Teras
20 oct Guru Granth Sahib Holy Scriptures installation
20 oct Naraka Chaturdasi r
20 oct Jamat-Ul-Vida
20 oct Deepawali (South India) / Lakshmi Puja
21 oct Diwali (Deepawali) / Bandi Chor Diwas p
22 oct Govardhan Puja r
24 oct Bhai Duj r
25 oct* Id ul Fitr (Eid,end of Ramadan / Ramzan) p
30 oct Aratt at Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)

November
01 nov Kannada Rajyotsava (Karnataka)
05 nov Guru Nanak's birthday (Parkash) p
24 nov Guru Teg Bahadur's Martyrdom day r

December
01 dec Gita Jayanti
24 dec Christmas Eve r
25 dec Christmas p

* subject to change; one day earlier or later depending on sighting of moon

Dates marked with letters on the right represent:

Gazetted public holidays (p)

Restricted holidays ® in the state of Himachal Pradesh

Many of those marked will be applicable as public holidays in other Indian states. Dates with a (p) are marked all over India.

'Restricted holidays' mean that government employees may take a choice of any two of the dates, while on public holidays most government offices and banks will be closed.

Entries with no letter in the right hand column are not official holidays in Himachal Pradesh, but may be in other Indian states.

[sego]

John, does these days mean you do not go to work ? If yes, I am moving to India. I can't believe it.

[ddutta]

In India we have 3 National Holidays ,mostly  all offices , factories are closed on those 3 days.These are  26th January (Republic Day ) , 15th August (Independence Day ) & 2nd October (Gandhiji's Birthday ) . Beside that every state has its own holiday list. Mostly public sector follows these holiday lists .

[rangss]

Kudos to John!

Typically, only 12 (or - 2) of these will be declared as holiday by respective state governments and private concerns. Which ones will they opt for is at their discretion although, as John points out, some of them are restricted.

[Strawberry_Blonde]

Deepawali or Diwali

Is these are given two different dates? What is the difference?

[vinayverma]

there are actuaually two dipawalis one is called smal and other is proper.
on both days we light diyas'
yes, the "small" diwali is one night prior to the main one, the 'small diwali' is the day we all pray our accounting and business books