Holidays
Kerala Holidays 2026
Government, Bank & Pooja Holidays List
Is today a holiday in Kerala?
Today
× NO HOLIDAY
(1 October 2026) in Kerala
The Kerala Government has not announced a public or government holiday for today. This updates as soon as an official notification comes through for a sudden closure, festival, or bank holiday.
Is tomorrow a holiday in Kerala?
Tomorrow
✓ IS HOLIDAY — Gandhi Jayanthi
(2 October 2026) in Kerala
Kerala has declared Gandhi Jayanthi as a holiday tomorrow. Check the tables below to see whether it counts as a bank, government or regional holiday.
Weekend Holiday Status
*If today or tomorrow falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is usually just a weekly off — weekends only count as a public holiday when a government notification says so.
**Banks and government offices close on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month; Sundays are a weekly off everywhere but count as a declared public holiday only if officially notified.
Onam sets the rhythm for Kerala's calendar year, with Thiruvonam landing on 26 August 2026 and a cluster of holidays notified around it. The Malayalam astronomical new year opens on 15 April with Vishu, and this state manages to balance Hindu, Christian and Muslim observances more evenly than most.
List of all Holidays in Kerala 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2 | Friday | Mannam Jayanthi | Regional |
| Jan 26 | Monday | Republic Day | National |
| Mar 20 | Friday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) | Regional |
| Apr 1 | Wednesday | Annual Closing of Accounts of Banks | Regional |
| Apr 2 | Thursday | Maundy Thursday | Regional |
| Apr 3 | Friday | Good Friday | Regional |
| Apr 5 | Sunday | Easter | Regional |
| Apr 14 | Tuesday | Dr Ambedkar Jayanthi/Vishu | Regional |
| Apr 15 | Wednesday | Vishu | Regional |
| May 1 | Friday | May Day | National |
| May 27 | Wednesday | Id-Ul-Adha (Bakrid) | Regional |
| Jun 25 | Thursday | Muharram | Regional |
| Aug 12 | Wednesday | Karkkadaka Vaavu | Regional |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Independence Day | National |
| Aug 25 | Tuesday | First Onam/Milad-i-Sherif | Regional |
| Aug 26 | Wednesday | Thiruvonam | Regional |
| Aug 27 | Thursday | Third Onam | Regional |
| Aug 28 | Friday | Fourth Onam/Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi/Ayyankali | Regional |
| Sep 4 | Friday | Sreekrishna Jayanthi | Regional |
| Sep 21 | Monday | Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi Samadhi Day | Regional |
| Oct 2 | Friday | Gandhi Jayanthi | National |
| Oct 20 | Tuesday | Maha Navami | Regional |
| Oct 21 | Wednesday | Viajayadasami | Regional |
| Nov 8 | Sunday | Deepavali | Regional |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas | Regional |
Pooja Holidays in Kerala 2026
Pooja observances in Kerala carry a distinctly Malayali character. Ayudha Pooja marks Maha Navami and Vijayadasami as Navaratri closes, the two days when tools, books and instruments are traditionally set aside for worship.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20 | Tuesday | Maha Navami | Regional |
| Oct 21 | Wednesday | Viajayadasami | Regional |
Bank Holidays in Kerala 2026
Kerala's bank holidays come from the state's Negotiable Instruments Act notification, plus the second and fourth Saturdays and every Sunday. One quirk worth noting: Maundy Thursday shuts banks here, which few other states observe, and Onam week contributes just a single closure, on Thiruvonam itself.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | Monday | Republic Day | National |
| Mar 20 | Friday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) | Regional |
| Apr 2 | Thursday | Maundy Thursday | Regional |
| Apr 15 | Wednesday | Vishu | Regional |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Independence Day | National |
| Aug 26 | Wednesday | Thiruvonam | Regional |
| Oct 2 | Friday | Gandhi Jayanthi | National |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas | Regional |
Government/Public Holidays in Kerala 2026
The General Administration Department in Thiruvananthapuram notifies Kerala's 2026 public holiday list, covering state offices, schools and public institutions. It pairs the national holidays with Onam, Vishu and the Dussehra period as the main regional entries.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | Monday | Republic Day | National |
| Mar 20 | Friday | Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) | Regional |
| Apr 15 | Wednesday | Vishu | Regional |
| May 1 | Friday | May Day | National |
| Aug 15 | Saturday | Independence Day | National |
| Aug 26 | Wednesday | Thiruvonam | Regional |
| Oct 2 | Friday | Gandhi Jayanthi | National |
| Oct 20 | Tuesday | Maha Navami | Regional |
| Dec 25 | Friday | Christmas | Regional |
Month-wise Kerala Holidays 2026
A month-by-month breakdown of every Kerala holiday in 2026, useful for leave planning, payroll processing and rostering throughout the year.
January 2026
- Mannam Jayanthi (Jan 2)
- Republic Day (Jan 26)
March 2026
- Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) (Mar 20)
April 2026
- Annual Closing of Accounts of Banks (Apr 1)
- Maundy Thursday (Apr 2)
- Good Friday (Apr 3)
- Easter (Apr 5)
- Dr Ambedkar Jayanthi/Vishu (Apr 14)
- Vishu (Apr 15)
May 2026
- May Day (May 1)
- Id-Ul-Adha (Bakrid) (May 27)
June 2026
- Muharram (Jun 25)
August 2026
- Karkkadaka Vaavu (Aug 12)
- Independence Day (Aug 15)
- First Onam/Milad-i-Sherif (Aug 25)
- Thiruvonam (Aug 26)
- Third Onam (Aug 27)
- Fourth Onam/Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi/Ayyankali (Aug 28)
September 2026
- Sreekrishna Jayanthi (Sep 4)
- Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi Samadhi Day (Sep 21)
October 2026
- Gandhi Jayanthi (Oct 2)
- Maha Navami (Oct 20)
- Viajayadasami (Oct 21)
November 2026
- Deepavali (Nov 8)
December 2026
- Christmas (Dec 25)
How HR teams use this Kerala holiday list
Prepare the annual leave calendar
Manage shift planning and employee rosters
Align payroll cut-offs with bank holidays in Kerala
Maintain compliance with working-day requirements
Configure holidays in HRMS and payroll software
Avoid salary delays caused by bank closures
Plan staffing around long weekends and festival clusters
FAQs on Kerala Holidays in 2026
Kerala Piravi falls on 1 November each year, though whether it counts as a public holiday in 2026 hinges on the official government notification.
That number won't be final until the Kerala Government publishes its official holiday list for the year.
Usually, yes, though bank holidays can differ since they're set by RBI and state-level notifications rather than the general list.
Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Onam, Vishu, the Eid festivals, Christmas and a handful of other major state celebrations make up the list.
Holiday dates feed into attendance, overtime, shift planning, leave balance calculations and payroll cut-offs, so salary processing needs to stay lined up with the calendar.
Once the notification is out, it'll be posted on the official Government of Kerala website.
Yes, since banks answer to both RBI guidelines and Kerala Government notifications, their list doesn't always match the general one.
It gives HR and payroll teams a base for resource planning, leave management, overtime budgeting and compliance tracking all year.
That changes often enough that it's worth checking the latest RBI or state government update before assuming either way.
Rain holidays only get announced in genuinely severe weather, and district or state authorities typically make that call on the day itself.
Disclaimer
These are the 2026 holiday dates as currently available. The final schedule for General and Restricted Holidays comes from the Government of Kerala, notified under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Dates for religious festivals can shift based on moon sightings or a later government announcement. Check the latest State Gazette notification or your organization's HR policy before planning leave or financial transactions around any of these dates.