Gujarat Holiday Calendar 2026: Statutory, Public & Commercial Holidays
In Gujarat, statutory holiday entitlement and commercial workplace operations are regulated under the Gujarat Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2019, the Gujarat Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, and annual gazette notifications issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of Gujarat under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.
Industrial manufacturing corridors, diamond trading centers in Surat, chemical belts, and financial hubs like GIFT City must align their annual leave rosters with the state's statutory framework—especially prominent regional holidays such as Uttarayan, Janmashtami, Samvatsari, and Vikram Samvat New Year (Bestu Varas).
Under the Gujarat Shops and Establishments Act, 2019, employers must provide a minimum of 8 paid holidays per year, including the 3 National Holidays and Gujarat State Foundation Day (1 May).
📅 Official Gujarat Statutory Holiday Calendar 2026
The following table reflects the comprehensive statutory, public, gazetted, and regional cultural festival holiday schedule declared for Gujarat in 2026:
| Date | Day | Holiday / Occasion | Classification | Mandatory for Private Sector? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-01-2026 | Wednesday | Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) | State Gazetted / Regional | Yes (Major State Priority) |
| 15-01-2026 | Thursday | Vasi Uttarayan | State Gazetted / Regional | Optional / Regional Choice |
| 26-01-2026 | Monday | Republic Day | National Holiday | Yes (Mandatory Paid Off) |
| 15-02-2026 | Sunday | Maha Shivratri | Gazette / NI Act | Optional / Sunday Overlap |
| 03-03-2026 | Tuesday | Holika Dahan / Dolyatra | Gazette / Regional | Optional / Floating |
| 04-03-2026 | Wednesday | Holi (2nd Day) - Dhuleti | Gazette / NI Act | Yes (High State Priority) |
| 19-03-2026 | Thursday | Cheti Chand / Parsi New Year Day (Pateti) | Gazette / Regional | Optional / Floating |
| 21-03-2026 | Saturday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid) | Gazette / NI Act | Yes |
| 26-03-2026 | Thursday | Ram Navami | Gazette / NI Act | Optional / Industry Discretion |
| 31-03-2026 | Tuesday | Mahavir Jayanti | Gazette / NI Act | Yes (High Regional Priority) |
| 01-04-2026 | Wednesday | Annual Closing of Bank Accounts | NI Act (Sec 25) | Banks Only |
| 03-04-2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Gazette / NI Act | Yes (Standard Corporate Off) |
| 04-04-2026 | Saturday | Easter Saturday | Gazette / Restricted Holiday | Optional / Floating |
| 14-04-2026 | Tuesday | Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar's Birthday | State & National Gazette | Yes |
| 01-05-2026 | Friday | Gujarat State Foundation Day / May Day & Buddha Purnima | State Mandatory Holiday | Yes (Mandatory State Paid Off) |
| 27-05-2026 | Wednesday | Bakri Id (Id-ul-Adha) | Gazette / NI Act | Yes |
| 26-06-2026 | Friday | Moharram | Gazette / NI Act | Optional / Floating |
| 16-07-2026 | Thursday | Rathayatra | State Gazetted / Regional | Yes (Major Regional Priority) |
| 15-08-2026 | Saturday | Independence Day | National Holiday | Yes (Mandatory Paid Off) |
| 26-08-2026 | Wednesday | Milad-Un-Nabi (Prophet Mohammad's Birthday) | Gazette / NI Act | Optional / Floating |
| 28-08-2026 | Friday | Raksha Bandhan | State Gazetted / Regional | Optional / High Regional Priority |
| 04-09-2026 | Friday | Janmashtami (Krishna Janmotsav) | State Gazetted / Regional | Yes (Major State Mandate) |
| 14-09-2026 | Monday | Samvatsari (Paryusan Parva) / Ganesh Chaturthi | State Gazetted / Regional | Yes (High Regional Priority) |
| 17-09-2026 | Thursday | Samvatsari (G.P.) | Gazette / Optional Holiday | Optional / Floating |
| 18-09-2026 | Friday | Samvatsari (Shwetambar Jain) | Gazette / Optional Holiday | Optional / Floating |
| 25-09-2026 | Friday | Anant Chaturdashi | Gazette / Regional | Optional / Floating |
| 02-10-2026 | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday | Yes (Mandatory Paid Off) |
| 20-10-2026 | Tuesday | Dussehra (Vijaya Dashmi) | Gazette / NI Act | Yes |
| 25-10-2026 | Sunday | Sharad Purnima | Gazette / Regional | Optional / Sunday Overlap |
| 08-11-2026 | Sunday | Diwali (Deepavali) | Gazette / NI Act | Yes (Sunday Overlap) |
| 09-11-2026 | Monday | Govardhan Puja / Gujarati New Year Day | State Gazetted / Regional | Yes (Major State Festival) |
| 10-11-2026 | Tuesday | Vikram Samvat New Year Day (Bestu Varas) | State Gazetted / Regional | Yes (Major State Mandate) |
| 11-11-2026 | Wednesday | Bhai Bij | State Gazetted / Regional | Optional / Regional Priority |
| 24-11-2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak's Birthday / Guru Teg Bahadur's Martyrdom Day | Gazette / NI Act | Optional / Corporate Choice |
| 25-12-2026 | Friday | Christmas | Gazette / NI Act | Yes (Standard Corporate Off) |
📋 Employer Compliance Checklist for Gujarat
- Annual Notice of Holidays: Display the approved holiday schedule on notice boards before 1st January.
- Statutory Non-Negotiables: Observe the 3 National Holidays (26 Jan, 15 Aug, 2 Oct) and Gujarat Gaurav Day (1 May).
- Working on Holidays: Provide double wages or normal pay plus a paid compensatory off within 30 days to any employee working on a declared festival holiday.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Uttarayan a mandatory paid holiday in Gujarat?
Yes. Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti) is celebrated with immense cultural significance across Gujarat and is a standard gazetted holiday observed by schools, universities, banks, and private commercial enterprises. Many organizations also observe Vasi Uttarayan on January 15th.
2. What is Bestu Varas (Vikram Samvat New Year)?
Bestu Varas marks the beginning of the Gujarati New Year (Vikram Samvat calendar) on the day following Diwali and Govardhan Puja. It is observed as a major state and commercial holiday across Gujarat.