Chhath Puja Holiday 2026: Are Schools, Banks and Government Offices Closed on November 13-16? Check State-Wise List

Chhath Puja 2026 will be observed from Friday, November 13, to Monday, November 16, across Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and several other parts of India. As the four-day festival approaches, people are checking whether schools, banks, government offices and private workplaces will remain closed during the celebrations.

The holiday schedule is not identical across India. Bihar has declared November 15 and 16 as gazetted holidays and November 14 as a restricted holiday for Chhath Puja. In Delhi, November 16 has been declared a holiday for government offices, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings.

Here is the date-wise Chhath Puja 2026 holiday schedule, including the official announcements available for Bihar and Delhi.

Chhath Puja 2026: Four-Day Festival and Holiday Calendar

Chhath Puja observance	Date	Day
Nahay Khay	November 13, 2026	Friday
Kharna	November 14, 2026	Saturday
Sandhya Arghya	November 15, 2026	Sunday
Usha Arghya and Parana	November 16, 2026	Monday

The four-day festival begins with Nahay Khay, followed by Kharna. Devotees offer Sandhya Arghya to the setting Sun on November 15 and complete the main observance with Usha Arghya on November 16.

Read More: Chhath Puja 2026 Date: Check 4-Day Calendar, Nahay Khay, Kharna and Arghya Timings

Chhath Puja Holiday 2026 in Bihar: Which Days Are Government Offices Closed?

The Bihar Government's official 2026 holiday calendar lists three Chhath-related holiday entries:

Date	Day	Holiday	Classification
November 13	Friday	Nahay Khay	Not listed as a general holiday
November 14	Saturday	Chhath Puja (Kharna)	Restricted holiday
November 15	Sunday	Chhath Puja	Gazetted holiday
November 16	Monday	Chhath Puja	Gazetted holiday

According to the Bihar Government's holiday calendar published through the National Portal of India, November 14 is a restricted holiday, while November 15 and November 16 are gazetted holidays.

This means November 15 and 16 are the designated general government holidays for Chhath Puja in Bihar. November 14 is listed separately as a restricted holiday.

November 13, which marks Nahay Khay and the beginning of the festival, does not appear as a general Chhath holiday in the published November 2026 calendar.

Employees should check their department's instructions and applicable restricted-holiday provisions before planning leave.

Is Chhath Puja a Holiday in Delhi on November 16, 2026?

Yes. The Delhi Government has declared Monday, November 16, 2026, a holiday on account of Pratihar Shashthi, also known as Surya Shashthi or Chhath Puja.

According to a notification issued by the General Administration Department of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi on November 9, the holiday applies to:

• Delhi Government offices
• Autonomous bodies under the Delhi Government
• Public Sector Undertakings under the Delhi Government

The notification specifically declares November 16 as a holiday. It should not be interpreted as an automatic four-day closure of all Delhi government offices.

November 15 falls on a Sunday, which is already a weekly holiday for many government offices.

Are Schools Closed During Chhath Puja 2026?

School holidays during Chhath Puja depend on the state government's education department, district-level instructions and individual school calendars.

In Bihar, November 15 and 16 are listed as gazetted holidays in the state holiday calendar. However, the holiday status of schools on November 13 and 14 should be checked against the applicable school or education department notification.

In Delhi, the November 16 government holiday notification applies to government offices, autonomous bodies and PSUs. It does not, by itself, establish the closure of every school.

Parents should check announcements from their respective schools and education authorities for the final holiday schedule.

Will Banks Remain Closed During Chhath Puja 2026?

Bank holidays are determined by the applicable state-wise banking holiday calendar and Reserve Bank of India notifications.

Therefore, a Chhath Puja holiday declared by a state government should not automatically be treated as a bank holiday for every branch.

Customers in Bihar and other Chhath-observing states should check the RBI's official 2026 bank holiday calendar for their respective state and date.

November 15 is a Sunday, when banks are ordinarily closed. For November 14 and 16, customers should verify the applicable banking holiday notification before visiting a branch.

Digital banking, UPI and online banking services may continue to be available during bank holidays, although branch-based services will depend on the applicable closure.

Chhath Puja 2026: Holiday Status in Other States

Chhath Puja is widely celebrated in Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and several other parts of India. However, the holiday schedule differs according to state government notifications.

State/Region	What to check
Bihar	November 14 restricted holiday; November 15 and 16 gazetted holidays
Delhi	November 16 holiday for Delhi Government offices, autonomous bodies and PSUs
Jharkhand	State government holiday notification and school calendar
Uttar Pradesh	State and district-specific holiday announcements
Other states	Applicable state government and institutional notifications

People working in private companies should also check their organisation's leave calendar, as government holiday declarations do not automatically determine private-sector closures.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is November 13, 2026, a government holiday for Nahay Khay?
   November 13 is the first day of Chhath Puja and falls on Friday. It is not listed as a general Chhath holiday in the Bihar Government's published 2026 holiday calendar. Individual departments or institutions may issue separate instructions.
2. Is November 14, 2026, a holiday in Bihar?
   November 14 is listed as Chhath Puja (Kharna), a restricted holiday in Bihar. It is not classified as a gazetted holiday in the state's published calendar.
3. Is November 15, 2026, a government holiday?
   November 15 falls on Sunday and is listed as a gazetted Chhath Puja holiday in Bihar. It is also the day of Sandhya Arghya.
4. Is November 16, 2026, a holiday in Bihar and Delhi?
   Yes. November 16 is a gazetted Chhath Puja holiday in Bihar. Delhi has separately declared November 16 a holiday for its government offices, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings.
5. Are private offices closed during Chhath Puja?
   Private-sector holiday policies depend on individual employers. Government holiday notifications do not automatically require every private company to close for all four days.
6. Are banks closed on November 16, 2026?
   Customers should check the RBI's state-wise holiday list for November 16. A government office holiday does not necessarily mean that bank branches in the same state will also remain closed.