Occasions in India have been deeply dependant on the historical backdrop of the area, the local and religious convictions.
This is because of the fact that India is a place one can experience extensive diversity. If you watch well the traditions and festivals of India, you shall find that, the nation celebrates a couple occasions across the country while some other observances are regarded locally.
The three National occasions that happen by Gregorian schedule are Republic day on January 26, Independence Day on August 15 and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. Different occasions fluctuate every year as the dates take after customary Indian almanac framework or calendars of ancient origin. This applies to most religious observances as they are figured in view of lunar or luni-solar powered calendar framework generally.
In India, each occasion is not observed everywhere throughout the nation. There are numerous local observances too. This requires the need for planning “Restricted Holidays” in agreement to provincial prerequisites.
In India Public Holidays 2016 are chosen by the statements made by the Central Government of India. 2016 Bank Holidays in India take after the commands set around the rules of the Reserve Bank of India.
Aside from the necessary occasions, each working individual can have two additional occasions from the rundown of Restricted Holidays in India.
Here's an itemized rundown of Holidays in India in 2016 –
| Date | Public & Bank Holidays | Description |
|---|---|---|
| January 26th | Republic Day | This day signifies the earmarking of the Indian Constitution that is celebrated with ponce and ceremony throughout the entire country. |
| March 24th | Holi | This is the Indian Spring Festival that is also called the Festival of Colors and it is |
| enjoyed with humor and elation. | ||
| March 25th | Good Friday | As known by the Christian faith, this day symbolizes the day that Jesus Christ was killed on the cross. It is also called as Black Friday or Easter Friday and is the Friday that is before the Sunday that Easter is held. |
| April 15th | Rama Navami | This Hindu holiday immortalizes the birth of the fabled character, Ram. This man is thought to have been one of the incarnations of another god, Lord Vishnu. |
| April 20th | Mahavir Jayanti | This day is set aside to celebrate and honor the birthday of Mahavir, who was one of the few remaining Jain Tirthankaras and for the Jains it is a opportune day. |
| May 21st | Budda Purnima | It is thought that Lord Gautama Buddha arrived on the Earth on this particular day and it is celebrated with Buddhist prayers from all over the globe who visit Bodh Gaya as part of their holy pilgrimage. |
| July 06th | Idu’l Fitr | This holiday is observed by the Muslims and is full of laughter and enjoyment. People are gifted and wear new outfits, spend time with family and their friends and feast. This is thought to be one of the best days to make any donations and special prayers are put together and attended. |
| August 15th | Independence Day | This is the day that India became a free country back in 1947 and every Indian celebrates it. It is celebrated by hoisting and giving the Indian Tricolor National Flag respect. There are plenty of social events and a parade that are held all over the country. |
| August 25th | Janmashtami | This day is when the Hindus believe that another incarnation of their beloved Lord Vishnu cam down as Shri Krishna arrived on the Earth. |
| September 12th | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | This holiday is celebrated by honoring Prophet Ibrahim, who had given up his own child to fulfill the wish of God. |
| October 2nd | Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday | This is a national holiday that celebrates the birthday of Mohandas Kramchand Gandhi, who is a respected figure throughout the country and he is known as the Father of the Nation. |
| October 11th | Dussehra | This Hindu holiday is a celebration that is all about the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana, which symbolizes that diligence will always win over evil. |
| October 12th | Muharram | This is the first month of the year that as shown by the Islamic Hijri calendar and it is honored with reverence from the Muslims. |
| October 30th | Diwali (Deepavali) | This festival is also called the Festival of Lights and it is celebrated with plenty of energy, prayers and feasting. They also meet with their relatives and friends and trade gifts and light fireworks. This is the day that the Jains celebrate because Mahavira had achieved nirvana. |
| November 14th | Guru Nanak’s Birthday | This is the birthday celebrations of Guru Nana, who was the founder of Sikhism and is thought to be the first ever Guru of the Sikhs. |
| December 13th | Milad-Un-Nabi or Id-E-Milad | This day is recognized as the birthday and celebration of Prophet Mohammed and this an extremely promising day for those of the Muslim faith. |
| December 25th | Christmas Day | This holiday is celebrated all over the world and it is a social and cultural holiday as well apart from having religious significance. It celebrates the birthday of Jesus Christ. |
| Date | Restricted Holidays | Description |
|---|---|---|
| January 1st | New Year’s Day | This is the starting day of the Gregorian calendar and it is celebrated with much excitement to give the New Year a cheery and welcoming embrace. |
| January 14th | Makar Sankranti | According to the traditions that Indians follow, Makar Sakranti is when the harvest festival is celebrated with much fanfare in different areas all over the country. |
| January 14th | Pongal | This is a Tamil centered celebration where everyone acknowledges the Sun God and the blessings given for a good harvest. |
| January 16th | Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday | This day is the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, who is the 10th Guru of the Sikhs. |
| January 23rd | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti | This is the day that everyone celebrates the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who is one of the most loved Indian Freedom Fighters. |
| February 12th | Basanta Panchami / Sri Panchami | This is the month of Magha on the India calendar and according to the lunar based calendar it is dedicated to worshiping the Goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. |
| February 19th | Shivaji Jayanthi | This is the day for celebrating the birthday of Chhatrapai Shivaji, who is the Maratha nationa's founder. It is mostly celebrated in Maharashtra. |
| Guru Ravidas’ Birthday | This is the day where the Sikh's celebrate the birthday of their Sikh Guru Ravidas. | |
| February 22rd | ||
| March 04th | Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti | This is the birthday of Dayananada Saraswati, who was a religious scholar and who founded Arya Samaj. He had promoted Vedic massages and taught his followers to overcome worshiping of the idols and ritualistic prayers. |
| March 07th | Maha Shivratri | This is a Hindu holiday where they worship Lord Shiva and is celebrated all over the country by Hindus. |
| March 23rd | Holika Dahan | This holiday is celebrated by starting and burning bonfires to celebrate good winning over evil. This holiday commemorates the death of Holika, who was killed by Prahlad, who was one of Lord Vishnu's devotees. |
| March 27th | Easter Sunday | This is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of their god, Jesus Christ some 3 days after being crucified. This was found in the New Testament of the bible. |
| Chaitra Sukladi / Gudi Padava / Ugadi / Cheti Chand | This is a promising time for the Hindus and it is celebrated in Chaitra, which is honored as Chaitra Sukladi. Also, the New Year for the Sindhi's is celebrated on Cheti Chand. Ugadi is a holiday that is celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as their New Year. Mahabharata also celebrates their traditional New Year during this time, which is called Gudi Padava. This is believed to be the day that the Universe was created by Lord Brahma, according to Indian mythology. | |
| April 08th | ||
| April 13th | Vaisakhi/Vishu | This is the New Year celebration in Punjab and is called Vaisakhi. Kerala's New Year celebration is called Vishu and both are celebrated with traditional rituals and some rites. |
| April 14th | Mesadi | This festival is one based on the harvest and it is celebrated in certain parts of Southern India. The celebration includes the prayers for a good years prosperity. |
| April 15th | Pahela (Poela) Baisakh (Bengal)/ Bahag or Bohaag Bihu (Assam) | This is the New year in West Bengal on the first day of Baisakh, which is the Indian month. This is thought to be the best time for new beginnings. Bohaag Bihu commemorates both the new plating cycle and New Year in Assam. |
| April 21st | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | This is the birthday of Hazarat Ali, who was the cousin and son-in-law to Prophet Mohammed and was his successor. |
| May 08th | Rabindranath Tagore’s Birthday | This is the birthday of Rabindranath Tagoe, who was a thinker, philosopher, and Nobel laureate poet. He is loved and praised much on this day. |
| July 16th | Rath Yatra | This celebration is found in Puri, Orissa and it marks the yearly visit of Lord Jaggannatha to the nearby Gundicha Temple. This is also called the Chariot Festival. |
| August 17th | Parsi New Year’s day | This is the day that starts Spring for the Parsis and it is also called Nowruz. |
| August 18th | Raksha Bandhan | This is one of the many tradition Hindu celebrations that lauds the bonding between sisters and brothers, which is represented by the tying of a rakhi thread on the brother's wrist. The brother then promises her security and love in return. |
| September 05h | Vinayaka Chaturthi/Ganesh Chaturthi | This is the Hindu holiday that marks the rebirth of the popular Lord Ganesha, who is the god of wisdom, fortune and prosperity. |
| September 14th | Onam | This festival is celebrated in Kerala and it celebrates the homecoming of their victorious King Mahavali. This is also the festival for rice harvesting. |
| October 12th | Dussehra | This is another traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the victory that Lord Ram had over Ravana, who was the demon king and symbolizes that good will always prevail over evil. |
| October 16th | Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday | This is the birthday of Sanskrit poet, Valmiki and he was known as the first poet or Adi Kavi. He had been the one who had written the memorable Ramayana. |
| October 19th | Karaka Chaturdasi (Karva Chouth) | This is a day where the married women of the Hindu faith fast for their husbands well-being. |
| October 29th | Deepavali / Narak Chaturdasi | This is one of the most crucial Hindu festivals that is celebrated throughout the country and is also called the Festival of Lights. |
| October 31st | Govardhan Puja | This is another traditional Hindu festival that lets everyone know that we should take care of, conserve and preserve Nature. |
| November 01st | Bhai Duj | This festival happens right after Deewali and it is aimed at strengthening the unbreakable bonds between a sister and a brother. |
| November 06th | Pratihar Sashthi or Surya Sashthi (Chhat Puja) | This festival is another traditional Hindu one and it is where the Sun God is worshiped for sustaining the life on Earth. |
| November 24th | Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day | This is the day that commemorates the execution of Teg Bahadur, who was the 9th guru of the Sikhs, by the Aurangzeb, who was the Mughal Emperor for causing problems in his attempts to convert India to a completely Muslim country. |
| December 24th | Christmas Eve | This is the day before Christmas and it is celebrated with zeal all over the globe. |