Odisha Government Unveils 2026 Holiday Schedule: What You Need to Know

The Odisha government has unveiled its official holiday list for 2026, designating 29 days as public holidays for state offices and executive magistrate courts. The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has provided a detailed notification outlining mandatory, optional, and coinciding holidays. Key dates include Makar Sankranti, Republic Day, and Independence Day, among others. Additionally, state employees can take one optional holiday from a selection of nine occasions. This announcement aims to inform all government departments and institutions for public awareness.

By Ambika Singh Nov 12, 2025, 15:27 IST

Official Holiday Announcement for 2026

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has officially announced its holiday calendar for the year 2026, designating 29 days as public holidays for state offices and executive magistrate courts.

The Revenue and Disaster Management Department (R&DM) has issued a comprehensive notification detailing the holiday schedule for the upcoming year, which includes mandatory, optional, and coinciding holidays.

As per the notification, all state government offices and revenue and magisterial courts will observe closures on the following festive and commemorative days:

Complete List of 29 Official Holidays:

14 January: Makar Sankranti

23 January: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti / Veer Surendra Sai Jayanti

26 January: Republic Day

3 March: Dola Purnima

4 March: Holi

21 March: Id ul Fitr

27 March: Ram Navami

1 April: Utkal Divas (Odisha Day)

3 April: Good Friday

14 April: Maha Vishuba Sankranti / Dr B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti

1 May: Buddha Purnima / Pandit Raghunath Murmu Birthday

16 May: Savitri Amavasya

27 May: Id ul Zuha

15 June: Raja Sankranti

26 June: Muharram

16 July: Ratha Yatra

15 August: Independence Day

26 August: Birthday of Prophet Muhammad

17 August: Jhulana Purnima

4 September: Janmashtami

14 September: Ganesh Chaturthi

15 September: Nuakhai

16 September: Following Nuakhai

17 October: Mahasaptami

19 October: Mahanavami

20 October: Vijaya Dashami

24 November: Rahas Purnima

25 December: Christmas Day

Id-ul-Fitr*

Muharram*

Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)*

(*Subject to the appearance of the moon)

Additionally, state employees are permitted to take one optional holiday from the following nine occasions, regardless of their religion, upon obtaining written approval from their competent authority:

Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday

Easter Saturday

Bahuda Yatra

Anla Navami

Prathamastami

Holi (second day)

Raksha Bandhan

Nuakhai

Christmas Eve

The department has clarified that certain festivals traditionally recognized as holidays will not be separately declared this year as they coincide with Sundays or the second and fourth Saturdays. These include Maha Shivratri, Pahili Raja, Mahalaya, Mahashtami, Kumar Purnima, and Diwali.

This official communication has been disseminated to all government departments, district collectors, and significant state and central institutions, including the Odisha High Court, RBI, and nationalized banks. The Information and Public Relations Department, All India Radio, and Doordarshan Bhubaneswar have also been notified for broad public awareness.