Indian Festivals 2026: Complete List by Month

India celebrates festivals from many faiths and regions, and 2026 is full of them. This list brings the major Indian festivals of 2026 together by month — Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Jain, and Buddhist festivals, harvest festivals, and the three national days. Use it to plan holidays, school events, and family gatherings.

Hindu festival dates follow India-based panchang calendars and are taken from our Hindu festival calendar 2026. Islamic festival dates are expected dates that depend on moon sighting and may shift by a day. Always confirm with a local calendar, temple, gurdwara, mosque, or church.

Indian festivals 2026 at a glance

Month	Festivals and dates in 2026
January	Lohri — 13 January; Makar Sankranti and Pongal — 14 January; Vasant Panchami — 23 January; Republic Day — 26 January
February	Maha Shivratri — 15 February
March	Holika Dahan — 3 March; Holi — 4 March; Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Chaitra Navratri begin — 19 March; Eid ul-Fitr — around 21 March (expected); Ram Navami — 26 March
April	Hanuman Jayanti — 2 April; Good Friday — 3 April; Easter — 5 April; Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) and Ambedkar Jayanti — 14 April; Akshaya Tritiya — 19 April
May	Buddha Purnima — 1 May; Ganga Dussehra — 25 May; Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) — around 27 May (expected)
June	Nirjala Ekadashi — 25 June; Jagannath Ratha Yatra — 27 June
July	Guru Purnima — 29 July
August	Independence Day — 15 August; Raksha Bandhan — 28 August
September	Krishna Janmashtami — 4 September; Ganesh Chaturthi — 14 September; Anant Chaturdashi — 25 September
October	Gandhi Jayanti — 2 October; Sharad Navratri begins — 11 October; Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami — 19 October; Dussehra — 20 October; Sharad Purnima — 25 October; Karwa Chauth — 29 October; National Unity Day — 31 October
November	Dhanteras — 6 November; Diwali — 8 November; Govardhan Puja — 10 November; Bhai Dooj — 11 November; Chhath Puja — 15 November; Guru Nanak Jayanti and Kartik Purnima — 24 November
December	Gita Jayanti — 20 December; Christmas — 25 December

National festivals of India

India has three national festivals, observed by every state and community:

• Republic Day (26 January) — marks the day the Constitution of India came into force in 1950.
• Independence Day (15 August) — marks independence from British rule in 1947.
• Gandhi Jayanti (2 October) — the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, also the International Day of Non-Violence.

National Unity Day on 31 October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is also widely observed.

Hindu festivals in 2026

Hindu festivals make up most of India’s festival calendar. The biggest of 2026 are Holi on 4 March, Navratri and Dussehra in October, and Diwali on 8 November. Ganesh Chaturthi dominates Maharashtra in September, Durga Puja transforms Bengal in October, and Chhath Puja is the great festival of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in November.

For month-by-month detail, see the Hindu festivals month-wise guide and, for what is coming next, upcoming Hindu festivals.

Harvest and regional festivals

Many Indian festivals mark the farming year and the sun’s movement:

• Lohri (Punjab) and Makar Sankranti (across India) celebrate the end of winter in January.
• Pongal (Tamil Nadu) and Magh Bihu (Assam) are January harvest festivals.
• Baisakhi (Punjab), Rongali Bihu (Assam), Vishu (Kerala), and Puthandu (Tamil Nadu) mark the solar new year in mid-April.
• Onam (Kerala) is the harvest festival of late August or early September.
• Ugadi and Gudi Padwa mark the lunar new year in the Deccan in March.

Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Jain and Buddhist festivals

• Sikh: Baisakhi (14 April) marks the founding of the Khalsa; Guru Nanak Jayanti (24 November) celebrates the first Sikh Guru.
• Muslim: Eid ul-Fitr (around 21 March) ends Ramadan; Eid al-Adha (around 27 May) is the festival of sacrifice; Muharram and Milad-un-Nabi follow later in the year according to the lunar calendar.
• Christian: Good Friday (3 April), Easter (5 April) and Christmas (25 December).
• Jain: Mahavir Jayanti in late March or early April and Paryushan in August–September.
• Buddhist: Buddha Purnima (1 May) marks the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing.

Upcoming Indian festivals (October to December 2026)

From today’s date the next big festivals are the Navratri and Dussehra season in October, Karwa Chauth on 29 October, the five days of Diwali from 6 to 11 November, Chhath Puja on 15 November, Guru Nanak Jayanti on 24 November, and Christmas on 25 December. See the autumn Hindu festivals 2026 guide for puja planning.

Why dates can differ

Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist festivals mostly follow lunar or luni-solar calendars, so their dates move each year against the Gregorian calendar. A festival can also fall on different days in different cities when a tithi begins late in the day. Islamic festivals depend on moon sighting. Fixed-date festivals — the national days, Christmas, and solar festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Baisakhi — rarely move. Government holiday lists vary by state, so check your state’s list for office and school closures.