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Karnataka Holiday Calendar 2026: Statutory, Public & Commercial Holidays

In Karnataka, statutory public and festival holidays are primarily governed under the Karnataka Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1963, the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, and notifications issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

For Bangalore's technology corridors, manufacturing belts, and commercial establishments, Karnataka's legal framework enforces a strict 10-day mandatory paid holiday threshold.

Karnataka Statutory Mandate (10 Paid Holidays)

Under Section 3 of the Karnataka Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1963, every employee is entitled to not less than 10 paid holidays in each calendar year, including:

  1. Republic Day (26 January)
  2. May Day (1 May)
  3. Independence Day (15 August)
  4. Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti (2 October)
  5. Kannada Rajyotsava (1 November)
  6. 5 Additional Festival Holidays selected by the employer in consultation with employee unions or works committees.

📅 Official Karnataka Statutory & Public Holiday Calendar 2026​

The following comprehensive schedule integrates official gazetted dates under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act, state government holidays, and restricted / regional festival observances:

DateDayHoliday / OccasionClassificationStatutory / Corporate Applicability
01-01-2026ThursdayNew Year's DayRestricted / State ObservanceCorporate / Optional Holiday
15-01-2026ThursdayUttarayana Punyakala, Makara Sankranti FestivalGazetted / NI ActMandatory / High Regional Priority
26-01-2026MondayRepublic DayNational HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Statutory)
27-01-2026TuesdaySri MadhvanavamiRestricted / Regional ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
04-02-2026WednesdayShab-e-BarathRestricted HolidayOptional / Floating Holiday
18-02-2026WednesdayMaha ShivratriGazetted / NI ActGeneral Public Holiday / Optional
02-03-2026MondayHoli FestivalRestricted / Regional FestivalOptional / Corporate Choice
17-03-2026TuesdayShab-e-QadarRestricted HolidayOptional / Floating Holiday
19-03-2026ThursdayUgadi Festival (Telugu / Kannada New Year)Gazetted / NI ActMandatory / High Regional Priority
20-03-2026FridayJumat-ul-WidaRestricted HolidayOptional / Floating Holiday
21-03-2026SaturdayKhutub-E-Ramzan (Id-ul-Fitr)Gazetted / NI ActMandatory / Gazetted Public Holiday
23-03-2026MondayDevara Dasimayya JayanthiRestricted / State ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
27-03-2026FridaySri RamanavamiRestricted / Regional FestivalOptional / Floating Holiday
31-03-2026TuesdayMahaveera JayanthiGazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday / Optional
01-04-2026WednesdayAnnual Closing of Bank AccountsNI Act (Section 25)Banks & Commercial Accounts Only
03-04-2026FridayGood FridayGazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday (Standard IT Off)
04-04-2026SaturdayHoly SaturdayRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
14-04-2026TuesdayDr. B.R. Ambedkar JayanthiGazetted / NI ActMandatory State & National Gazetted
20-04-2026MondayBasava Jayanthi, Akshaya TritiyaGazetted / NI ActMandatory State Gazetted Holiday
21-04-2026TuesdaySri Shankaracharya JayanthiRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
22-04-2026WednesdaySri Ramanujacharya JayanthiRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
01-05-2026FridayMay Day (International Workers' Day)State Mandatory HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Sec 3 Mandate)
28-05-2026ThursdayBakrid (Id-ul-Adha)Gazetted / NI ActMandatory / Gazetted Public Holiday (Simpliance: 28-05; HR Deck: 27-05)
26-06-2026FridayLast Day of MoharamGazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday (Simpliance: 26-06; HR Deck: 25-06)
15-08-2026SaturdayIndependence DayNational HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Statutory)
21-08-2026FridayVaramahalakshmi VrataRestricted / State ObservanceOptional / Regional Holiday
26-08-2026WednesdayEid-Milad (Milad-un-Nabi)Gazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday (Simpliance: 26-08; HR Deck: 28-08)
27-08-2026ThursdayYajur UpakarmaRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
28-08-2026FridayBrahma Shri Narayana Guru Jayanthi, Raksha BandhanRestricted ObservanceOptional / Regional Holiday
04-09-2026FridaySri Krishna JanmashtamiRestricted / Regional FestivalOptional / Corporate Choice
08-09-2026TuesdayKanya Mariyamma JayanthiRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
14-09-2026MondayVarasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata (Ganesh Chaturthi)Gazetted / NI ActMandatory / High Regional Priority
17-09-2026ThursdayVishwakarma JayanthiRestricted / Industrial ObservanceOptional / Factory Holiday
25-09-2026FridayAnanta Padmanabha VrataRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
02-10-2026FridayMahatma Gandhi JayanthiNational HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Statutory)
20-10-2026TuesdayMahanavami, AyudhapoojaGazetted / NI ActMandatory / High Regional Priority (Simpliance: 20-10; HR Deck: 19-10)
21-10-2026WednesdayVijayadasami (Dussehra)Gazetted / NI ActMandatory / Gazetted Public Holiday
26-10-2026MondayMaharshi Valmiki JayantiGazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday / Optional
01-11-2026SundayKannada Rajyotsava (Karnataka Formation Day)State Mandatory HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Sec 3 Mandate)
08-11-2026SundayNaraka ChaturdashiGazetted / Regional FestivalGazetted Public Holiday (Sunday Overlap)
10-11-2026TuesdayBalipadyami, DeepavaliGazetted / NI ActMandatory / Gazetted Public Holiday
24-11-2026TuesdayGuru Nanak JayanthiGazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday / Optional
26-11-2026ThursdayHuttari FestivalRegional / Kodagu ObservanceRegional / Restricted Holiday
27-11-2026 / 28-11-2026Friday / SaturdayKanakadasa JayanthiGazetted / State ObservanceGazetted Public Holiday (Simpliance: 27-11; HR Deck: 28-11)
24-12-2026ThursdayChristmas EveRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
25-12-2026FridayChristmasGazetted / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday (Standard IT Off)

📋 Employer Compliance Checklist for Karnataka​

Employers in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Mangaluru, and across Karnataka must observe the following statutory protocols:

  1. Submission of Form I (Notice of Holidays):
    • Under Rule 3 of the Karnataka National and Festival Holidays Rules, employers must submit Form I specifying the proposed 10 holidays (including the 5 statutory mandates) to the jurisdictional Inspector of Factories or Labour Officer before 31st December of the preceding year.
  2. Notice Display (Form II):
    • The approved statement of holidays in Form II must be displayed prominently on workplace notice boards and published on internal portals by January 1.
  3. Overtime / Holiday Working Remittance:
    • Employees required to work on a declared statutory holiday are entitled to twice the ordinary rate of wages (200%), or regular pay plus a paid substitute holiday within 90 days as governed by Section 5 of the Act.
  4. Advance Notice for Holiday Work (Form IV):
    • If an employer requires work on a declared holiday, a notice in Form IV must be served to the worker and sent to the Labour Inspector at least 24 hours prior to the holiday.
  5. IT / ITeS Sector Exemption Conditions:
    • IT and knowledge-based establishments granted general exemptions under the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act must ensure that mandatory national and state holidays (26 Jan, 1 May, 15 Aug, 2 Oct, 1 Nov) are strictly honored or compensated with compensatory time off and statutory 200% overtime rates.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)​

1. Is Kannada Rajyotsava (November 1st) a compulsory paid holiday in Karnataka?​

Yes. Under Section 3 of the Karnataka Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1963, Kannada Rajyotsava is one of the 5 legally entrenched mandatory paid holidays in Karnataka. Even if it falls on a Sunday, it cannot be arbitrarily waived.

2. Can an IT/BPO company in Bangalore substitute May Day or Kannada Rajyotsava?​

No. The five statutory core holidays in Karnataka (26 Jan, 1 May, 15 Aug, 2 Oct, and 1 Nov) cannot be substituted. Only the remaining 5 festival holidays out of the 10-day quota may be selected or substituted through consultation with employees.

3. How many total paid holidays are mandatory for private sector firms in Bangalore?​

Under the Karnataka NFH Act, private firms, IT companies, and industrial establishments must grant at least 10 paid holidays per year.

4. What is the deadline to submit the annual holiday list to the Karnataka Labour Department?​

Employers must submit Form I containing the list of 10 proposed holidays to the local Labour Inspector on or before 31st December of the preceding year.