Dussehra Holidays 2026: Office, Bank and School Holiday Dates
Dussehra 2026 is a gazetted holiday on Tuesday, 20 October. Here is who gets the day off, when banks close, and how long school breaks run.
Dussehra 2026 is a gazetted holiday on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. Central government offices, most state government offices, and banks in most states are closed that day.
Table Of Content
- Is Dussehra a Government Holiday in 2026?
- Dussehra Bank Holidays 2026
- Dussehra School Holidays 2026
- Long Weekend Ideas for Dussehra 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is 20 October 2026 a holiday?
- Are banks closed on Dussehra 2026?
- Is Durga Ashtami a holiday in 2026?
- How long are Dasara holidays for schools in Telangana?
- When is Diwali 2026?
In West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala and the North-East, the break is longer. Durga Puja and Vijaya Dashami closures there run across several days from about 18 to 21 October.
Want the full story of the festival, the muhurat and the Navratri calendar? Read our main guide: Dussehra 2026: Exact Dates, Vijayadashami Muhurat, Significance, and Wishes.
Is Dussehra a Government Holiday in 2026?
Yes. Dussehra (Vijayadashami) is one of the 17 compulsory gazetted holidays on the central government list for 2026. It falls on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
| Holiday | Date | Day | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gandhi Jayanti | 2 October 2026 | Friday | Gazetted (national) |
| Dussehra (Vijayadashami) | 20 October 2026 | Tuesday | Gazetted |
| Diwali (Deepavali) | 8 November 2026 | Sunday | Gazetted |
Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami are not on the compulsory central list. Many states add them as state holidays, and central employees can often take one of them as a restricted holiday.
Dussehra Bank Holidays 2026
Banks follow the RBI holiday calendar, which is set state by state. Here is the pattern for 2026:
Most of India: banks are closed on Tuesday, 20 October for Dussehra.
East and North-East (West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Sikkim, Odisha and others): closures stretch across Durga Puja — Maha Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Vijaya Dashami — roughly from 18 to 21 October.
South (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu): Ayudha Puja and Vijaya Dashami can close banks on consecutive days. Some states keep Vijaya Dashami on Wednesday, 21 October, because the Dashami tithi is still running at sunrise that day.
Remember that 18 October is a Sunday and 24 October is a fourth Saturday, so banks are shut on those days everywhere.
Tip: lists online don’t always agree for individual cities. Before you plan a bank visit, check your branch or the official RBI holiday list for your state.
Dussehra School Holidays 2026
Schools usually close for Dussehra, but the length of the break depends on your state and board.
North India: most schools close on Dussehra day itself, sometimes with a day or two around it.
West Bengal and the east: Puja vacations are long — often a week or more across Durga Puja.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh: Dasara is the big autumn break. Schools here often close for about ten days or more around the festival.
Karnataka: a Dasara break of one to two weeks is common, timed around Mysore Dasara.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu: schools close for Ayudha Puja and Vijaya Dashami. Many children begin their first lessons (Vidyarambham) on Vijayadashami morning.
Your school’s circular is the final word. State education departments announce exact dates a few weeks before the festival.
Long Weekend Ideas for Dussehra 2026
Dussehra falls on a Tuesday this year. Take Monday, 19 October off and you get a four-day break from Saturday, 17 October to Tuesday, 20 October.
In states that also close for Maha Navami on the 19th, you may not need to take leave at all.
Good places to spend it:
Mysuru: the palace lights and the Jamboo Savari elephant procession on Vijayadashami.
Kullu: Kullu Dussehra begins on 20 October and runs for a week, just as everyone else is finishing.
Kolkata: the last days of Durga Puja, pandal-hopping and Sindoor Khela.
Delhi, Varanasi or Ayodhya: Ramlila and the Ravan Dahan on Dussehra evening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 20 October 2026 a holiday?
Yes. Dussehra (Vijayadashami) on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 is a gazetted holiday for central government offices, and banks in most states are closed.
Are banks closed on Dussehra 2026?
Banks in most states are closed on 20 October 2026. In Bengal, Assam, Odisha and the North-East, closures run across Durga Puja from about 18 to 21 October. Check the RBI list for your state.
Is Durga Ashtami a holiday in 2026?
Durga Ashtami is not on the compulsory central list, but many states give it as a state holiday, and central employees can often take it as a restricted holiday.
How long are Dasara holidays for schools in Telangana?
Telangana schools usually get a long Dasara break of around ten days or more. The exact dates come in the state education department’s circular.
When is Diwali 2026?
Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November 2026, nineteen days after Dussehra.
Holiday dates are based on the central government gazetted list for 2026. State and bank holidays can differ by region, so please confirm with your office, school or bank.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: 1 Iamdeepaksingh (CC0); 2 Subhrajyoti07 (CC BY-SA 4.0); 3 User:psubhashish (CC BY-SA 3.0); 4 TheSachuHopes (CC BY-SA 4.0); 5 Hetavee (CC0).
