🌾
14 Jan 2026
Pongal / Makar Sankranti
Harvest thanksgiving across South India - kolams, sugarcane, and shared meals.
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Last updated: October 2026
India holiday & leave planner
India holiday and leave planner
India’s calendar is a mosaic of national, state, and faith-specific observances. Before you promise unlimited PTO, model how many fixed holidays your Bengaluru or Hyderabad team expects - then let Varimo align employment contracts and handbooks.
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Add preferred sourceIndia holiday & leave planner
- Last reviewed October 2026
- FY 2026–27
- New tax regime · Section 87A
- EPFO wage ceiling ₹25,000 · from Sep 2026
Illustrative holiday calendar for planning - your signed handbook and state notifications are the source of truth.
Talk to a Total Rewards expert to structure your India team’s comp and benefits.
Bands on this page are planning anchors from public data. Varimo helps you turn them into compliant CTC breakups, supplemental benefits, and EOR-ready offer letters.
Talk to Total Rewards →Karnataka (Bengaluru hub) public holidays in 2026: 15
Illustrative calendar for a team of 10 — pair with your earned-leave policy in the handbook.
Unity in diversity
India is a colorful land of many faiths - your leave policy should respect that
Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and regional calendars all shape how teams expect time off. This planner combines illustrative 2026 public holidays by work state with typical earned-leave bands - then Varimo helps you encode the final list in your India handbook.
- Actual holiday lists are notified by state and your company policy.
- Many teams offer 2–4 optional holidays from a regional menu.
- Varimo EOR clients get handbook templates aligned to work state.
Illustrative paid public holidays in 2026
15 days
Karnataka (Bengaluru hub)
26 Jan 2026
Republic Day
Constitution Day parade - tricolor everywhere, unity in civic pride.
🎨
4 Mar 2026
Holi
Festival of colors - North and West India erupts in gulal and gujiya.
🌿
19 Mar 2026
Ugadi / Gudi Padwa
New Year for many Deccan and Maharashtrian calendars - neem-jaggery first bite.
🌙
21 Mar 2026
Eid ul-Fitr
End of Ramadan - sewai, charity, and open doors across communities.
✝️
3 Apr 2026
Good Friday
Observed widely - Kerala, Goa, and Northeast add deep Christian heritage to the map.
🪁
15 Aug 2026
Independence Day
1947 freedom - flag hoisting from schools to tech parks nationwide.
🪈
15 Aug 2026
Janmashtami
Krishna’s birth - dahi handi in Mumbai, bhajans in Mathura-linked traditions.
🌺
26 Aug 2026
Onam (Kerala-linked)
Sadya feasts and pookalam - many Bengaluru teams with Kerala roots celebrate too.
🐘
14 Sept 2026
Ganesh Chaturthi
Elephant-headed god’s homecoming - Maharashtra’s streets become art galleries.
🕊️
2 Oct 2026
Gandhi Jayanti
National day of non-violence - dry day in many states, quiet reflection.
🏹
20 Oct 2026
Dussehra / Vijayadashami
Victory of good - Ramlila finales, Mysuru palace lights, Bengali Bijoya Dashami overlap.
💛
1 Nov 2026
Karnataka Rajyotsava
Karnataka formation day - yellow-red flags across Bengaluru and Mysuru.
🪔
8 Nov 2026
Diwali
Festival of lights - diyas, lakshmi puja, and the busiest gift corridor in the world.
🎄
25 Dec 2026
Christmas
Midnight mass to mall stars - India’s Christian communities and friends celebrate together.
Typical leave stack (policy, not statutory list)
- earned Leave Days:
- 15–24 days / year (often 18 after probation)
- sick Leave Days:
- 6–12 days / year (employer policy)
- optional Holidays:
- 2–4 floating days from the regional list
- maternity:
- 26 weeks statutory (IT Amendment Act)
- paternity:
- Common supplemental 1–2 weeks on tech offers
Hiring 10 people in Karnataka (Bengaluru hub)? Ask Varimo for a handbook-ready holiday calendar on EOR - see published pricing.
TL;DR
Pick a work state to see illustrative 2026 public holidays with cultural context, plus typical earned-leave ranges on tech offers. Final lists come from your policy and state notifications - Varimo helps EOR clients publish handbook-ready calendars.
$95/mo
Published EOR fee
Bengaluru
Operator HQ & filings
Agentic payrun
Pre-checks before approval
USD invoice
INR payroll pass-through
Why holidays matter for global employers
Employees in India expect both earned leave and a published holiday list tied to work state. Missing Diwali, Eid, or regional formation days signals you do not understand the culture - even if payroll is compliant.
Varimo does not replace your policy team. We help you encode what you approve into India employment contracts and employee handbooks when we act as Employer of Record.
How to use this planner
- Select the state where the employee will work (Bengaluru → Karnataka, etc.).
- Read the holiday cards for cultural context you can share with hiring managers.
- Add optional holidays and earned-leave rules in your offer - this tool shows industry-typical bands only.
Typical leave bands (policy, not law)
Most tech employers offer 15–24 days of earned leave after probation, 6–12 sick days, and 2–4 optional holidays from a regional menu. Maternity leave is statutory at 26 weeks; paternity is often added as a supplemental benefit.
Handbooks on Varimo EOR
Published EOR pricing starts at $95/employee/month. We run payroll, PF, TDS, and professional tax while you keep product management - including leave approvals in your HRIS where integrated.
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the official government holiday list?
- No. States notify public holidays each year; employers publish their own lists. Use this planner for workforce conversations, then confirm with legal or Varimo before signing offers.
- Do all India employees get the same holidays?
- No. National holidays apply broadly, but state and optional holidays differ. Remote employees are usually tied to a work state for professional tax and holiday calendars.
Want this on live payroll, not a spreadsheet?
Talk to Varimo - we employ in India, run agentic payrun checks, and file statutory remittances from Bengaluru.
Talk to VarimoLast updated: October 2026. Calculators and checklists are planning aids, not tax or legal advice.