October Holidays 2026: Complete Holiday List

Bank Holidays in October 2026, Complete List

Source: RBI holiday matrix and state government notifications under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. Always verify with your specific bank branch.

Date-Specific Holiday Answers, October 2026

October is India's biggest festive spending month, and the start of the loan season. Dussehra to Diwali is 19 days. Banks close repeatedly through October 16–21. If you're planning a festive purchase, travel, or home upgrade, check your pre-approved personal loan offer before the holiday cluster, 30+ lenders compared in 2 minutes. Soft inquiry, zero CIBIL score impact. [Check My Pre-Approved Offer →]

October 2026, The Full Festival Picture

October 2026 carries more festival weight than any other month because it holds three overlapping religious calendars simultaneously:

The Navratri–Dussehra arc (11–20 October): Nine nights of Goddess worship culminating in Vijayadashami, the day of victory. In North India this is the Ram Leela–Ravan Dahan tradition; in East India (Bengal, Odisha, Assam) it is the Durga Puja tradition running from Maha Shashti to Bijoya Dashami; in South India it is Sharada Navratri with Golu (Tamil Nadu), Vijayadashami vehicle blessings (Karnataka–Mysore Dasara), and Ayudha Puja.

The Durga Puja cluster (15–21 October): Five official puja days in West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam, with four consecutive bank holidays in those states (October 16–19 plus Dussehra on 20), the longest single bank closure stretch in the October calendar.

The post-Dussehra window (21–31 October): Karva Chauth on 29 October, Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti on 26 October, and the run-up to the Diwali cluster beginning in November.

Key Holidays in October 2026, What They Are

Gandhi Jayanti (2 October), National Holiday: The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, observed as one of India's three mandatory national holidays. All banks, government offices, schools, and courts are closed. The day is also observed globally as the International Day of Non-Violence. The Indian government holds prayer gatherings at Raj Ghat in New Delhi.

Ghatasthapana / Navratri begins (11 October): Ghatasthapana (the ritual installation of the sacred Kalasha) marks the formal beginning of Sharad Navratri, nine nights of worship of Goddess Durga's nine forms. In 2026, Navratri runs from 11 October through Maha Navami on 19 October. Ghatasthapana itself is not a bank holiday but signals the most sacred nine-day period of the Hindu calendar.

Maha Shashti (16 October), Bank holiday in WB, Odisha, Assam, Tripura: The first of the five main Durga Puja days, Goddess Durga is formally invoked and her idol unveiled to devotees. Dhakis (traditional drummers) begin their continuous performance. Banks in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Tripura are closed.

Maha Saptami (17 October), Saturday: The second main Durga Puja day, the Kola Bou ritual (bathing of the banana plant representing the nine plant forms of Durga) is performed. Falls on a Saturday in 2026; since it is also a gazetted holiday in WB, Odisha, and Assam, it overrides the normal 3rd Saturday working status in those states.

Maha Ashtami (18 October), Sunday: The most powerful day of Durga Puja, Kumari Puja, Sandhi Puja, and all-day Anjali observed. Falls on a Sunday in 2026, so banks are already closed for the weekly off. The gazetted holiday in WB, Odisha, Assam, Bihar adds no additional bank closure on this date.

Maha Navami (19 October), Bank holiday in multiple states: The final full day of Durga Puja worship, Maha Aarti concludes the puja cycle. Bank holiday in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

Vijaya Dashami / Dussehra (20 October), Bank holiday most states: The tenth day, the day of victory. Ram Leela–Ravan Dahan in North India; Bijoya Dashami idol immersion in the East; Mysore Dasara state procession in Karnataka; Ayudha Puja vehicle blessings in South India. A bank holiday in most states.

Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti (26 October), Sunday: The birth anniversary of the sage Valmiki, author of the Ramayana. A gazetted public holiday in HP, Haryana, Karnataka, MP, Punjab, and Tripura. Falls on a Sunday in 2026, banks already closed; no additional banking closure.

Karva Chauth / Karaka Chaturthi (29 October), Select states: A fasting festival observed by married Hindu women in North India, a day-long fast (from sunrise to moonrise) for the health and longevity of their husbands, followed by viewing the moon through a sieve and breaking the fast. A bank holiday in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and UP.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Jayanti / National Unity Day (31 October), Gujarat: The birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, who unified over 500 princely states into the Indian Union. A bank holiday in Gujarat. Observed as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) across India, though banks in other states remain open.

October 2026, States with Most Bank Holidays

Extractable Answer Blocks

How many bank holidays are there in October 2026? October 2026 is India's most holiday-dense month for banking. Nationwide bank closures include Gandhi Jayanti (2 October, national holiday), 2nd Saturday (10 October), Dussehra/Vijayadashami (20 October, most states), and 4th Saturday (24 October). State-specific closures add the full Durga Puja cluster (16–21 October) in West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam, and Karva Chauth (29 October) in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and UP. West Bengal has the most closures, up to 9 bank holidays in October 2026.

Is October 2, 2026 a bank holiday? Yes. 2 October 2026 (Friday) is Gandhi Jayanti, one of India's three national holidays. All banks across every state are mandatorily closed. Gandhi Jayanti celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and is observed by all scheduled and non-scheduled banks, PSU and private, without exception.

Is October 1, 2026 or October 3, 2026 a bank holiday? No. Neither October 1 nor October 3, 2026 is a public or bank holiday in India. Both are regular working days for banks and government offices across all states. The first significant October holiday in 2026 is Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October, the day between them.

Is October 6, 2026 a bank holiday? No. October 6, 2026 (Tuesday) is not a public or bank holiday anywhere in India. It is a regular working day for all banks across all states. The nearest bank closures around this date are Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 (Friday) and the 2nd Saturday on October 10 (Saturday).