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Tamil Nadu Holiday Calendar 2026: Statutory, Public & Commercial Holidays

In Tamil Nadu, paid public and festival holidays are governed under the Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (National, Festival and Special Holidays) Act, 1958 and the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947, alongside notifications issued by the Public Department (Human Resources) under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

For establishments in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu's legal framework guarantees a statutory minimum of 9 paid holidays annually.

Statutory Minimum in Tamil Nadu (9 Paid Holidays)

Under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958: Every employee is entitled to not less than 9 paid holidays in each calendar year, which must include:

  1. Republic Day (26 January)
  2. May Day (1 May)
  3. Independence Day (15 August)
  4. Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti (2 October)
  5. 5 Additional Festival Holidays approved by the jurisdictional Inspector.

📅 Official Tamil Nadu Statutory & Public Holiday Calendar 2026​

The following comprehensive schedule reflects the gazetted public holidays, bank closures under the NI Act, and regional festival observances across Tamil Nadu:

DateDayHoliday / OccasionClassificationStatutory / Corporate Applicability
01-01-2026ThursdayNew Year's DayGazette / RegionalYes (High Corporate Priority)
14-01-2026 / 15-01-2026Wednesday / ThursdayPongalState Gazetted / RegionalMandatory / Major State Mandate (Simpliance: 15-01; HR Deck: 14-01)
15-01-2026 / 16-01-2026Thursday / FridayThiruvalluvar DayState Gazetted / RegionalMandatory / Major State Mandate (Simpliance: 16-01; HR Deck: 15-01)
16-01-2026 / 17-01-2026Friday / SaturdayUzhavar Thirunal (Farmers' Day)State Gazetted / RegionalMandatory / State Mandate (Simpliance: 17-01; HR Deck: 16-01)
26-01-2026MondayRepublic DayNational HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Statutory)
01-02-2026SundayThai PoosamState Gazetted / RegionalOptional / Sunday Overlap
19-03-2026ThursdayTelugu New Year's DayGazette / RegionalOptional / Regional Priority
21-03-2026SaturdayRamzan (Idu'l Fitr)Gazette / NI ActMandatory / Gazetted Public Holiday
31-03-2026TuesdayMahaveer JayanthiRestricted ObservanceOptional / Floating Holiday
01-04-2026WednesdayAnnual closing of Accounts for Commercial Banks & Co-operative BanksNI Act (Section 25)Commercial Banks Only
03-04-2026FridayGood FridayGazette / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday (Standard Corporate Off)
14-04-2026TuesdayTamil New Year's Day / Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's BirthdayState & National GazetteMandatory State Statutory Holiday
01-05-2026FridayMay DayState Mandatory HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Sec 3 Mandate)
27-05-2026 / 28-05-2026Wednesday / ThursdayBakrid (Idul Azha)Gazette / NI ActMandatory / Gazetted Public Holiday (Simpliance: 28-05; HR Deck: 27-05)
25-06-2026 / 26-06-2026Thursday / FridayMuharramGazette / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday / Optional (Simpliance: 26-06; HR Deck: 25-06)
15-08-2026SaturdayIndependence DayNational HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Statutory)
26-08-2026WednesdayMilad-un-NabiGazette / NI ActGazetted Public Holiday / Optional
04-09-2026FridayKrishna JayanthiState Gazetted / RegionalOptional / Corporate Choice
14-09-2026MondayVinayakar ChathurthiState Gazetted / RegionalMandatory / Major Regional Priority
02-10-2026FridayGandhi JayanthiNational HolidayMandatory Paid Off (Statutory)
19-10-2026MondayAyutha PoojaState Gazetted / RegionalMandatory / High State Priority
20-10-2026TuesdayVijaya DasamiState Gazetted / RegionalMandatory / Major State Priority
08-11-2026SundayDeepavaliGazette / NI ActMandatory Paid Off (Sunday Overlap)
25-12-2026FridayChristmasGazette / NI ActMandatory / Corporate Off

📋 Employer Compliance Checklist for Tamil Nadu​

  1. Submission of Form V (List of Holidays):
    • Under Tamil Nadu rules, employers must send a proposal in Form V specifying the 5 festival holidays along with the 4 mandatory national/state days to the jurisdictional Inspector of Labour before 31st October or 30 days prior to the calendar year.
  2. Display of Notice (Form III):
    • The approved list of holidays in Form III must be exhibited prominently within the workplace premises and on digital portals before January 1.
  3. Working on a Festival Holiday (Form VI Notice):
    • If an employee is required to work on a declared paid holiday, the employer must serve a notice in Form VI to the employee and the Inspector at least 24 hours before such holiday.
  4. Compensation Rules:
    • Employees working on a holiday are entitled to twice the ordinary daily wages (200%), or regular pay plus a paid substitute holiday within 90 days.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)​

1. Are Pongal and Thiruvalluvar Day mandatory holidays in Chennai?​

Yes. Under the Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments Act and common corporate practice, the Pongal festive block (Pongal, Thiruvalluvar Day, and Uzhavar Thirunal) forms part of the core regional festival holidays approved by the state labour authorities.

2. What is the statutory minimum number of paid holidays in Tamil Nadu?​

Under the Tamil Nadu NFH Act, 1958, every industrial and commercial establishment must grant at least 9 paid holidays per calendar year.