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Kerala Holidays 2026 List Verified

Kerala Public, Government and Bank Holidays 2026

Check if today or tomorrow is a holiday in Kerala, plus the full 2026 list of government, public, restricted, bank, and school holidays for Kochi and the whole state. 24 public holidays and 1 restricted holiday, updated for HR and payroll teams.

Source: Government of Kerala, General Administration Department (GAD). Live status updates daily. Last reviewed September 2026. Verify against the official gazette before payroll lock.

2026 At a Glance

24

Public

General

1

Restricted

Optional

3

National

All-India

25+

Bank

Key dates

Next public holiday

Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi

Monday, 21 Sep 2026 · in 13 days

Is today a holiday in Kerala?

Tuesday, 08 September 2026

No, it is a working day

Today is a regular working day across Kerala. The state government has not declared a public holiday on this date. Offices, banks, and schools follow normal hours.

Is tomorrow a holiday in Kerala?

Wednesday, 09 September 2026

No, it is a working day

Tomorrow is a regular working day across Kerala. The state government has not declared a public holiday on this date. Offices, banks, and schools follow normal hours.

This status checks the current date in India against the official Kerala 2026 calendar and refreshes daily. Weekly offs (Sundays, and second and fourth Saturdays) are not listed as public holidays.

Quick Read

Kerala notifies 24 general public holidays for 2026 through the GAD, including the 3 national days and state festivals such as the four-day Onam block, Vishu, and Deepavali. It also lists 1 restricted holiday, the annual bank account closing on 1 April, and banks observe their own holiday set. Apply these by employee work location and your Shops and Establishments policy across Kochi and the state.

Government & Public Holidays

List of Kerala Government Holidays 2026

24 general public and government holidays, grouped by month. National gazetted days are tagged. Source: Kerala GAD 2026 calendar.

Jan

January 2026

2 holidays
02 Jan Mannam Jayanthi Friday Regional
26 Jan Republic Day Monday National
Mar

March 2026

1 holiday
20 Mar Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan) Friday Regional
Apr

April 2026

5 holidays
02 Apr Maundy Thursday Thursday Regional
03 Apr Good Friday Friday Regional
05 Apr Easter Sunday Regional
14 Apr Dr B R Ambedkar Jayanti Tuesday Regional
15 Apr Vishu Wednesday Regional
May

May 2026

2 holidays
01 May May Day Friday Regional
27 May Bakrid (Id-ul-Adha) Wednesday Regional
Jun

June 2026

1 holiday
25 Jun Muharram Thursday Regional
Aug

August 2026

6 holidays
12 Aug Karkkadaka Vavu Wednesday Regional
15 Aug Independence Day Saturday National
25 Aug First Onam / Milad-i-Sherif Tuesday Regional
26 Aug Thiruvonam Wednesday Regional
27 Aug Third Onam Thursday Regional
28 Aug Fourth Onam / Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi Friday Regional
Sep

September 2026

2 holidays
04 Sep Sree Krishna Jayanthi Friday Regional
21 Sep Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi Monday Regional
Oct

October 2026

3 holidays
02 Oct Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti Friday National
20 Oct Maha Navami Tuesday Regional
21 Oct Vijaya Dasami Wednesday Regional
Nov

November 2026

1 holiday
08 Nov Deepavali Sunday Regional
Dec

December 2026

1 holiday
25 Dec Christmas Day Friday Regional

Holidays on lunar or Islamic calendars may shift by a day on moon sighting. Confirm against the official Kerala gazette before locking payroll.

Bank Holidays

Bank Holidays in Kerala 2026

Kerala bank holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, the same list the RBI follows. Banks also close every Sunday and on the second and fourth Saturday.

DateDayBank Holiday
02 Jan 2026FridayMannam Jayanthi
26 Jan 2026MondayRepublic Day
20 Mar 2026FridayId-ul-Fitr (Ramzan)
01 Apr 2026WednesdayAnnual Closing of Bank Accounts
02 Apr 2026ThursdayMaundy Thursday
03 Apr 2026FridayGood Friday
05 Apr 2026SundayEaster
14 Apr 2026TuesdayDr B R Ambedkar Jayanti
15 Apr 2026WednesdayVishu
01 May 2026FridayMay Day
27 May 2026WednesdayBakrid (Id-ul-Adha)
25 Jun 2026ThursdayMuharram
12 Aug 2026WednesdayKarkkadaka Vavu
15 Aug 2026SaturdayIndependence Day
25 Aug 2026TuesdayFirst Onam / Milad-i-Sherif
26 Aug 2026WednesdayThiruvonam
27 Aug 2026ThursdayThird Onam
28 Aug 2026FridayFourth Onam / Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi
04 Sep 2026FridaySree Krishna Jayanthi
21 Sep 2026MondaySree Narayana Guru Samadhi
02 Oct 2026FridayMahatma Gandhi Jayanti
20 Oct 2026TuesdayMaha Navami
21 Oct 2026WednesdayVijaya Dasami
08 Nov 2026SundayDeepavali
25 Dec 2026FridayChristmas Day

Bank holiday lists are issued by the RBI per state. Confirm the final dates with your bank, as some festival dates are subject to revision.

Restricted Holidays

Optional / Restricted Holidays 2026

Employees may choose a limited number, subject to company policy. Banks observe the annual closing on 1 April.

DateDayOccasion
01 Apr 2026WednesdayAnnual Closing of Bank Accounts
Schools & Kochi

School Holidays and Kochi Holidays in Kerala

Are schools closed tomorrow in Kerala?

Kerala schools follow the gazetted holidays above, plus their own academic-calendar breaks for summer, Onam, and mid-term. Any public holiday on this page is a school holiday statewide. Unplanned closures for rain or local events come from a separate District order, so check your school circular and the live status box above.

Is today a holiday in Kochi?

Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and the rest of Kerala follow the same state holiday calendar. Every gazetted public holiday on this page applies in Kochi. The city also closes for the main Onam and Deepavali festival days.

Employer Guide

How Kerala holidays apply at work

01

Compulsory public holidays

The 24 general holidays are paid days off. Offices and banks stay closed. National days (Republic, Independence, Gandhi Jayanti) are mandatory everywhere.

02

Restricted holiday choice

Employees pick a set number of restricted holidays per company policy, usually two to three. Record the chosen day in your leave system.

03

Shops & Establishments rule

Private employers grant paid public holidays per the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act and policy. Typical practice is 12 to 15 paid holidays plus weekly offs.

04

IT-sector note

Kochi (Infopark) and Thiruvananthapuram (Technopark) IT and ITES units often follow a fixed plus flexi-holiday model. Map each employee to the Kerala calendar and let them pick flexi days within policy.

HRMS Software in India

Auto-apply Kerala holidays to attendance and payroll

HRMS Software in India loads the Kerala holiday calendar, splits general, restricted, and bank holidays, applies the four-day Onam block per work location, and lets staff pick restricted days within policy.

Book a Demo

State calendar built-in

General + restricted split

Per work-location

Employee restricted-day pick

Other State Holiday Calendars

Tamil Nadu Public Holidays Karnataka Public Holidays Andhra Pradesh Public Holidays Telangana Public Holidays Maharashtra Public Holidays Goa Public Holidays

See all 36 state and UT holiday calendars

Sources & Verification

How this Kerala 2026 holiday list is verified

This calendar follows the official Government of Kerala General Administration Department 2026 holiday notification, published in the Kerala Gazette Extraordinary dated 31/10/2025, compiled by the HRMS Software in India compliance team and cross-checked before each update. Last reviewed September 2026. Islamic and lunar festival dates stay provisional until the state confirms them, so verify against the official gazette before locking payroll.

Kerala GADPrimary official source Kerala Government GazetteHoliday notifications
FAQ

Kerala Holidays 2026 FAQ

Is today a holiday in Kerala?
Check the live "Is today a holiday in Kerala" box at the top of this page. It compares the current date against the official Kerala 2026 calendar and updates every day. As a general rule, Kerala government offices and banks close on all gazetted public holidays, every Sunday, and the second and fourth Saturday of each month.
Is tomorrow a holiday in Kerala?
The "Is tomorrow a holiday in Kerala" box near the top of this page shows tomorrow status automatically. If tomorrow is a gazetted public holiday such as Vishu, Thiruvonam (Onam), Vijaya Dasami, or Deepavali, offices and banks stay closed across the state, including Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
Is tomorrow a school holiday in Kerala?
Most Kerala schools follow the state gazetted holiday list plus their own academic breaks for summer, Onam, and mid-term. Any gazetted public holiday on this page is a school holiday across Kerala, including Kochi. For unplanned closures due to rain or local events, the District administration issues a separate order, so confirm with your school circular.
Is today a holiday in Kochi?
Kochi follows the Kerala state holiday calendar. Every gazetted public holiday listed on this page applies in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and across the state. Kochi observes major festival days like Thiruvonam (Onam) and Vishu as full state holidays.
How many public holidays does Kerala have in 2026?
Kerala notifies 24 general public holidays for 2026 under the GAD calendar, plus 1 restricted or optional holiday. The list includes the 3 national days and state festivals such as the four-day Onam block, Vishu, and Deepavali.
Are public holidays and government holidays the same in Kerala?
For the most part, yes. The government (gazetted) holidays that Kerala declares are the public holidays observed by offices, banks, and most establishments, and the two terms are used interchangeably. The separate set is restricted or optional holidays, which are not compulsory and are chosen by the employee within company policy.
Is the Kerala 2026 holiday list the same for private and IT companies?
The three national days (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti) are compulsory for every employer. For the rest, private and IT companies in Kerala follow the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act and their own policy, usually granting 12 to 15 paid holidays from the state list plus a few optional ones. IT parks such as Technopark Thiruvananthapuram and Infopark Kochi often run a fixed plus flexi model, so the calendar is the same reference, but the exact paid days off can vary by company.
How do Kerala holidays affect payroll and salary?
A declared public holiday is a paid day off, so it does not reduce monthly salary. If an employee works on a public holiday, most Kerala employers pay overtime or grant a compensatory off as per policy. Payroll teams should mark each holiday correctly in attendance so loss-of-pay, overtime, and weekly-off calculations stay accurate at month end, especially around the Onam block.
How many restricted or optional holidays can a Kerala employee take?
Kerala government employees may use a limited number of restricted holidays during the year with prior permission. Private employers usually allow two to three from the optional list, set by company policy. Record each chosen day in your leave system so attendance and payroll reflect it.
What are the bank holidays in Kerala in 2026?
Banks in Kerala close on all gazetted public holidays, every Sunday, and the second and fourth Saturday. Key 2026 bank holidays include Republic Day, Vishu, Good Friday, May Day, Independence Day, Thiruvonam (Onam), Gandhi Jayanti, Deepavali, and Christmas, plus the annual closing of bank accounts on 1 April.
What are the national holidays in Kerala 2026?
The three national gazetted holidays in Kerala for 2026 are Republic Day on 26 January, Independence Day on 15 August, and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October. These are compulsory paid holidays for every employer everywhere.
When is Vishu in Kerala 2026?
Vishu, the Malayalam astronomical New Year, falls on 15 April 2026 and is a compulsory state public holiday. Families mark it with the Vishukkani and Vishukkaineettam, and state offices, banks, and most establishments across Kerala stay closed.
When is Onam in Kerala 2026 and why is it important?
Thiruvonam, the main Onam day, falls on 26 August 2026 in Kerala, within a four-day Onam block from 25 to 28 August. Onam is the biggest harvest festival in the state, celebrated with the Onasadya feast, Pookalam, and Vallam Kali boat races, especially in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. It is a gazetted public holiday across Kerala.
Where can I download the Kerala 2026 holiday list?
Use the Download Kerala 2026 Holiday PDF button at the top of this page for the full list. You can also cross-check it against the official Kerala Government calendar on the GAD portal linked in the Sources and Verification section.
Why are some Kerala festival dates tentative?
Islamic festivals such as Id-ul-Fitr, Bakrid, Muharram, and Milad-i-Sherif depend on moon sighting and are provisional. Kerala may issue a revised date close to the festival, so confirm against the official gazette before locking attendance and payroll.
How does HRMS Software in India manage the Kerala holiday calendar across locations?
HRMS Software in India loads the Kerala holiday calendar, separates general, restricted, and bank holidays, applies the four-day Onam block, and maps them to attendance and payroll by work location. Teams with offices in Kochi and other states get the correct state calendar per site, and employees pick restricted holidays within policy. Book a demo to see it on your own setup.

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HRMS Software in India keeps the Kerala holiday calendar, leave, and payroll in sync across every work location.

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