West Bengal Government Employees to Get 53 Holidays in 2026, Up by 4
Eight Holidays to Overlap With Sundays in 2026
Durga Puja Break Stretches Across 12 Days
State government employees in West Bengal can look forward to a slightly longer holiday calendar next year. The 2026 list includes 53 holidays, compared to 49 in 2025, with at least two earmarked for specific communities.
Durga Puja Break to Remain 12 Days
The state’s biggest festive season will once again bring an extended break. Durga Puja holidays will run for 12 days, beginning October 15 (Chaturthi) and continuing till the day after Lakshmi Puja, which falls on October 25. Government offices, including Nabanna, will reopen on October 27.
Eight Holidays to Overlap With Sundays
The 2026 calendar also shows eight holidays coinciding with Sundays or other holidays. Among them are:
Shivratri – February 15
Durga Puja Saptami – October 18
Lakshmi Puja – October 25
Kali Puja – November 8
Chhath Puja – November 15
Birsa Munda Jayanti – November 15
Despite overlapping, state government offices remain closed on these days.
Holiday Clashes and Long Weekends
Some important dates fall on the same day next year. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday (January 23) and Saraswati Puja coincide, while Buddha Purnima overlaps with May Day.
The year 2026 begins with a midweek break on January 1 (Thursday). The next holiday – Swami Vivekananda’s birthday on January 12 – falls on a Monday, offering employees an extended weekend. Several other holidays, including May Day, Muharram (June 26), Janmashtami (September 4) and Christmas, also fall on Fridays, creating additional long weekends.
Compensation Leave Before Saraswati Puja
With Saraswati Puja and Netaji’s birthday both observed on January 23, the state has announced that government offices will also remain closed a day earlier, on January 22. This ensures a four-day break for employees from Thursday through Sunday.
Saturday Holidays and Extended Kali Puja Break
A few major observances, including Eid-ul-Fitr (March 21), Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday (May 9) and Independence Day, fall on Saturdays next year.
Meanwhile, though Kali Puja lands on a Sunday (November 8), state offices will remain shut from November 9 to 16 due to consecutive Kali Puja and Chhath Puja observances, effectively granting an extended week-long break.
