Holiday Guide for Arunachal Pradesh in 2026
Arunachal Pradesh, India’s easternmost state known as the “Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains,” is home to over 26 major tribes and an extraordinary mosaic of cultural traditions. Holidays in the state reflect this rich diversity, spanning national observances, tribal festivals, and religious celebrations from multiple faiths.
This guide covers the complete list of Public Holidays, Bank Holidays, and Optional (Restricted) Holidays for Arunachal Pradesh in 2026. It is designed to help HR professionals, payroll teams, and business leaders stay compliant and prepared throughout the year.
The holidays in this guide are categorized under:
- National Holidays
- Religious Festivals
- State-specific Observances (including Statehood Day and Indigenous Faith Day)
What are the Official Public Holidays in Arunachal Pradesh in 2026?
Public Holidays in Arunachal Pradesh are announced by the State Government and must be followed by all government offices, banks, educational institutions, and most private organizations. The state observes approximately 17 public holidays in 2026, including three national holidays.
Below is the official list of Public Holidays observed in Arunachal Pradesh in 2026:
| Date | Day | Holiday Name | Remarks |
| 01-Jan-2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Gregorian calendar start |
| 14-Jan-2026 | Wednesday | Makar Sankranti | Harvest festival |
| 26-Jan-2026 | Monday | Republic Day | National holiday |
| 20-Feb-2026 | Friday | Statehood Day | Arunachal Pradesh formation day |
| 04-Mar-2026 | Wednesday | Holi | Festival of colours |
| 21-Mar-2026 | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid)* | Islamic festival (date may vary) |
| 03-Apr-2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Christian festival |
| 15-Apr-2026 | Wednesday | Bohag Bihu | Assamese New Year / Spring festival |
| 01-May-2026 | Friday | Buddha Purnima | Birth of Lord Buddha |
| 15-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Independence Day | National holiday |
| 02-Oct-2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | National holiday |
| 19-Oct-2026 | Monday | Maha Ashtami | Durga Puja |
| 20-Oct-2026 | Tuesday | Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) | Hindu festival |
| 08-Nov-2026 | Sunday | Diwali (Deepavali) | Festival of lights |
| 24-Nov-2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Sikh festival |
| 01-Dec-2026 | Tuesday | Indigenous Faith Day | State-specific tribal faith holiday |
| 25-Dec-2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Christian festival |
*Islamic holidays are subject to the appearance of the moon. Dates may vary by one day based on official lunar sightings.
HR Action Tip:
Ensure these public holidays are reflected in your company’s leave calendar, HRMS, and payroll systems. Statehood Day (20 Feb) and Indigenous Faith Day (01 Dec) are unique to Arunachal Pradesh and are often missed in pan-India HRMS configurations. Communicate the full calendar to employees in advance.
What are the Bank Holidays in Arunachal Pradesh in 2026?
All bank holidays include all 2nd and 4th Saturday bank closures, in addition to government-declared public holidays. These are governed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Payroll teams should plan salary disbursals, fund transfers, and reimbursement cycles around these closures.
Note also that 1 April 2026 (Annual Bank Closing) is a bank-specific closure for year-end balancing and may affect financial transactions near the fiscal year end.
Here is the complete list of Bank Holidays in Arunachal Pradesh for 2026:
| Date | Day | Holiday Name | Remarks |
| 01-Jan-2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Public holiday |
| 10-Jan-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 14-Jan-2026 | Wednesday | Makar Sankranti | Public holiday |
| 24-Jan-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 26-Jan-2026 | Monday | Republic Day | Public holiday |
| 14-Feb-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 20-Feb-2026 | Friday | Statehood Day | Public holiday |
| 28-Feb-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 04-Mar-2026 | Wednesday | Holi | Public holiday |
| 14-Mar-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 21-Mar-2026 | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid)* | Public holiday |
| 28-Mar-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 01-Apr-2026 | Wednesday | Annual Bank Closing | Financial year end |
| 03-Apr-2026 | Friday | Good Friday | Public holiday |
| 11-Apr-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 14-Apr-2026 | Tuesday | Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti | Public holiday |
| 15-Apr-2026 | Wednesday | Bohag Bihu | Public holiday |
| 25-Apr-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 01-May-2026 | Friday | Buddha Purnima | Public holiday |
| 09-May-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 23-May-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 13-Jun-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 27-Jun-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 11-Jul-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 25-Jul-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 08-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 15-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Independence Day | Public holiday |
| 22-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 12-Sep-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 26-Sep-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 02-Oct-2026 | Friday | Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | Public holiday |
| 10-Oct-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 19-Oct-2026 | Monday | Maha Ashtami | Public holiday |
| 20-Oct-2026 | Tuesday | Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) | Public holiday |
| 24-Oct-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 08-Nov-2026 | Sunday | Diwali (Deepavali) | Public holiday |
| 14-Nov-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 24-Nov-2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Public holiday |
| 28-Nov-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 01-Dec-2026 | Tuesday | Indigenous Faith Day | Public holiday |
| 12-Dec-2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
| 25-Dec-2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Public holiday |
| 26-Dec-2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Regular bank holiday |
*Islamic holidays are subject to the appearance of the moon.
HR Action Tip:
Align salary disbursals, fund transfers, and reimbursement cycles in advance to avoid disruptions during bank closures. Pay special attention to the Annual Bank Closing on 01 April and the Independence Day weekend in August.
What are the Optional (Restricted) Holidays in Arunachal Pradesh in 2026?
Restricted holidays are optional observances from which employees may select a limited number based on personal religious or cultural beliefs, subject to prior approval and company policy. Arunachal Pradesh, with its extraordinary tribal diversity, has a rich list of restricted holidays spanning Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and indigenous observances.
Here is the 2026 Optional Holiday List for Arunachal Pradesh:
| Date | Day | Holiday Name | Remarks |
| 01-Jan-2026 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | Gregorian calendar year start |
| 14-Jan-2026 | Wednesday | Pongal | Tamil harvest festival |
| 26-Jan-2026 | Monday | Losar | Tibetan/Monpa New Year |
| 31-Jan-2026 | Saturday | Guru Ravidas Jayanti | Sikh observance |
| 14-Apr-2026 | Tuesday | Ambedkar Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| 14-Apr-2026 | Tuesday | Vaisakhi / Baisakhi | Regional New Year |
| 21-Jun-2026 | Sunday | Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid)* | Islamic festival (date may vary) |
| 28-Jul-2026 | Tuesday | Muharram* | Islamic festival (date may vary) |
| 22-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Raksha Bandhan | Sibling festival |
| 30-Aug-2026 | Sunday | Janmashtami | Birth of Lord Krishna |
| 19-Oct-2026 | Monday | Navratri / Maha Navami | Hindu festival |
| 05-Nov-2026 | Thursday | Kartik Purnima | Holy bathing festival |
| 24-Dec-2026 | Thursday | Christmas Eve | Christian festival |
*Islamic holidays are subject to lunar sighting. Employees may select a limited number of restricted holidays as per company policy.
Payroll-Sensitive Dates to Watch Out for HR Professionals
Some holidays may significantly impact payroll processing and other financial activities, especially when they fall near month-end or fiscal year deadlines. Below are the key dates HR and payroll teams in Arunachal Pradesh should flag in their planning calendars for 2026:
| Date | Day | Holiday Name | Remarks |
| 21-Mar-2026 | Saturday | Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Eid) | Islamic festival near fiscal Q1 close |
| 31-Mar-2026 | Tuesday | Annual Financial Year End | Critical payroll and compliance deadline |
| 01-Apr-2026 | Wednesday | Annual Bank Closing | Banks closed; advance payroll processing needed |
| 15-Aug-2026 | Saturday | Independence Day | National holiday, long weekend potential |
| 08-Nov-2026 | Sunday | Diwali (Deepavali) | Popular for extended leave clusters |
| 01-Dec-2026 | Tuesday | Indigenous Faith Day | State-specific closure; plan disbursals early |
| 25-Dec-2026 | Friday | Christmas Day | Long weekend combined with Saturday |
Got questions?
Arunachal Pradesh observes approximately 17 public holidays in 2026, including national, state-specific, and religious festivals.
Statehood Day, observed on 20 February 2026, marks the formation of Arunachal Pradesh as a full state of India in 1987. It is a state public holiday celebrated with cultural events, food festivals, and sports activities.
Statehood Day, observed on 20 February 2026, marks the formation of Arunachal Pradesh as a full state of India in 1987. It is a state public holiday celebrated with cultural events, food festivals, and sports activities.
Government organizations follow the official state holiday list. Private firms may customize their leave plans while maintaining compliance with applicable labour laws and the Negotiable Instruments Act.
Yes. As per RBI guidelines applicable to the Itanagar regional office, all scheduled and non-scheduled banks observe public holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.
Yes. Employees may take leave on optional (restricted) holidays after obtaining prior approval in accordance with their company policy. The number of such holidays an employee may avail is typically limited.
No. Dates for Id-ul-Fitr, Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha), and Muharram may vary by a day based on lunar sightings. Employers must stay updated with official announcements from state government authorities.