Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti 2026, Date, Bank Holiday Status

Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti (Parkash Utsav) marks the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the ninth Sikh Guru. In 2026, it is observed on Sunday, 18 April 2026 per the Nanakshahi calendar. A separate observance, Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Diwas (Martyrdom Day), is commemorated on 24 November each year.

Banks in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh may observe a restricted or gazetted holiday on Jayanti. Confirm with your branch before scheduling time-sensitive transactions. CreditMitra's loan comparison works 24/7. 

Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti 2026, Key Facts

Note: Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti (18 April 2026) falls on a Sunday, all banks are closed as a weekly off regardless of gazetted holiday status. For bank planning purposes, the working days immediately around it are Saturday 18 April (wait, 18 April is Sunday; 17 April is Friday and 20 April is Monday) that matter for transactions.

Who Was Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji?

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1621–1675) was the ninth of the ten Sikh Gurus. Born in Amritsar on 1 April 1621 (18 April per Nanakshahi reckoning), he is revered as "Hind di Chadar", the Shield of India, for sacrificing his life to protect the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits and others from forced conversion under Mughal rule. He was martyred in Delhi on 24 November 1675 on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb. Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, marks the site of his martyrdom.

Public Holidays, April 2026

Bank Holidays, April 2026

Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti 2026 falls on Sunday, banks are closed as a weekly off in all states. This is not a separate gazetted bank holiday impact; the Sunday closure already applies universally. Plan any Punjab or Haryana branch transactions for Friday 17 April or Monday 20 April.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti vs Shaheedi Diwas, Key Difference

Important: Many searchers conflate "Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti" with the Martyrdom Day (Shaheedi Diwas on 24 November). They are separate observances. The Jayanti (birth) is in April; the Shaheedi Diwas (martyrdom) is in November. Neither is a nationwide gazetted bank holiday, they are observed primarily in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.

Personal Loan Planning Around April Holidays

April 2026 is one of the heaviest holiday months in the banking calendar, Annual Closing (1 Apr), Good Friday (3 Apr), 2nd Saturday (11 Apr), Ambedkar Jayanti (14 Apr), Bihu/Bengali New Year/Himachal Day (15 Apr), Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti Sunday (18 Apr), Basava Jayanti (20 Apr), and 4th Saturday (25 Apr). That is potentially 8 days of full or partial bank closures in a single month.

If you have a loan application, a cheque to clear, or a large RTGS transfer planned for April, the working window is narrower than it appears.

CreditMitra's digital loan comparison requires no branch visit and works on all holidays.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Parkash Utsav
The Parkash Utsav (birth anniversary) of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji is observed with Akhand Path (48-hour continuous recitation of Guru Granth Sahib), kirtan (devotional singing), langar (community meals), and nagar kirtan (processions) at Gurdwaras across Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. The celebration is particularly significant at Gurdwara Patna Sahib (Patna, Bihar, his birthplace per historical accounts) and across the Sikh diaspora worldwide.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Shaheedi Diwas
Shaheedi Diwas (Martyrdom Day) on 24 November commemorates Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's execution at Chandni Chowk, Delhi, in 1675. He is revered as Hind di Chadar, the protector of India's religious pluralism, for refusing to abandon his faith and for standing against religious persecution. The day is observed with solemnity at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib (Delhi) and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib (Delhi), where his body was cremated. Unlike the Jayanti, Shaheedi Diwas is a day of remembrance rather than festivity.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti vs Guru Nanak Jayanti
Guru Nanak Jayanti (Parkash Utsav of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji) is the most widely observed Gurpurab and is a gazetted bank holiday in most Indian states, in 2026, on 24 November (Tuesday). Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti (9th Guru) is observed primarily in Punjab and northern states and is not uniformly gazetted as a bank holiday. Both fall in the Nanakshahi calendar but on different dates.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti Year-Wise Dates

The Nanakshahi calendar fixes this date as 5 Vaisakh = 18 April each year.

What Works and What Doesn't on Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti (18 April 2026)