Days off in India 2019

The list below will showcase all holidays for India in 2019. Keep in mind that as India is a diverse country, not all of the holidays listed below would be celebrated all over India. I have attempted to mark the holidays as to the location, ethnicity that tends to celebrate this holiday. It's important to remember that just because a holiday may not be local to the area of your team in India, it doesn't mean some of your team members may not celebrate it. For instance, Pongal tends to be a holiday in Tamil Nadu. However, if your team is in Delhi, and your team has a few team members originally from Tamil Nadu, they may opt to take a day off for this holiday. Of course, taking days off for holidays not native to the area would be noted in the days off policy of your company in India. Some companies may allow employees to take off other regional holidays as floating holidays or as personal days.

Let's look at the holiday and observances calendar for India in 2019:
*The holidays marked with an asterisks fall on a different date every year. Double check a few days in advance of the holiday to assure the date hasn't changed.

Multicultural, Diverse India (image credit: Isha.sadhguru)

January 2019
1 - New Year’s Day (limited)
13 - Guru Gobindsingh's Birthday (Sikh)*
14 - Pongal (Tamil Harvest Festival)
20 - Sabarimala Makaravilakku/Makara Jyothi (Kerala)*
26 - Republic Day (National Holiday)

February 2019
10 - Vasant Panchami* (Hindus in the states of Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Tripura, West Bengal worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, music, art and culture.)
19 - Shivaji Jayanti (Maharasthra) (Same day every year)
20 – Attukal Pongala (Kerala)*
28 - Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti

March 2019
4 – Mahashivarathri*
21 – Holi* (Traditionally a holiday/day off in North India. Some companies in South India celebrate at work, but do not have a day off.)

April 2019
6 - Ugadi* (Telugu New Year - Andhra Pradesh/Telegana)
6 - Gudi Padwa* (Marathi New Year - Maharashtra)
13 – Ramanavami* (Birthday of Lord Ram, in most parts of India.)
14 – Baishakhi (Harvest Festival for Sikhs/Punjabis)
14 – Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti (Birthday of the social reformer, a National Holiday.)
14 – Tamil New Year

14 – Palm Sunday*
15 – Vishu (Kerala)

19 - Good Friday*
21 - Easter*
22 – Earth Day
April End - School Ends India

May 2019
1 - Labour Day (National Holiday)
5 - Ramadan starts/Eid al-Adha* (Muslim holiday)
7 - Akshaya Tritiya*
18 - Buddha Purnima* (Honours the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama, or Lord Buddha. Popular in north and northeast India.)

June 2019

June beginning – School Starts India
1 (approx) - Monsoon in Kerala starts
4 - Ramadan Ends/Eid al-Fitr*
31 - Laylat al-Baraat/Laylat al-Qadr*

July 2019
No holidays

August 2019

10 - Bakrid (Muslim holiday)*
15 - Independence Day (National Holiday)
15 - Raksha Bandhan* (North Indian festival to celebrate brothers.)
24 - Krishna Jayanthi / Krishna Janamasthami / Gokulashtami* (all the same name for Lord Krishna's birthday)
31 - Muhharam* (Islamic new year) starts (Islamic New Year)

September 2019
1 - 13 - Onam* (Kerala, Actual day off may be Sept 10 or 11.)
2 - Ganesh Chathurthi*
9-10 - Ashura* (Muslim holiday)
28 - Muhharam* (Islamic new year) ends
29 - Navarathri* Starts

October 2019
2 - Gandhi Jayanthi (National Holiday)
8 – Navarathri ends*
8 – Vijaya Dashami, Vidhyarmbam* (end of Navarathri)
27 - 31 – Diwali / Deepawali* (See this site for Diwali dates until 2040) (Oct. 27 may be the day off.)