Jammu & Kashmir Holidays List 2026

Jammu & Kashmir has 28 gazetted public holidays in 2026 under Annexure-A of Government Order No. 1894-JK(GAD) of 2025, covering 2 national days and 26 religious and cultural observances spanning Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist traditions. As a Union Territory with two distinct provinces ammu and Kashmir the calendar is uniquely broad, reflecting the region's multi-faith character. Below is the official list with dates, the day of the week, and what each means for payroll and leave.

Date Day Holiday Holiday Type
5 Jan 2026 Monday Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Birthday Religious
17 Jan 2026 Saturday Shab-i-Miraj (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
26 Jan 2026 Monday Republic Day National
15 Feb 2026 Sunday Mahashivratri Religious
17 Mar 2026 Tuesday Shab-i-Qadr (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
19 Mar 2026 Thursday 1st Navratra Religious
20 Mar 2026 Friday Jumat-ul-Vida (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
21 Mar 2026 Saturday Nauroz Cultural
21 Mar 2026 Saturday Eid-ul-Fitr (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
26 Mar 2026 Thursday Ram Navami Religious
14 Apr 2026 Tuesday Baisakhi Religious
14 Apr 2026 Tuesday Birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Commemorative
1 May 2026 Friday Buddha Purnima Religious
27 & 28 May 2026 Wed & Thu Eid-ul-Azha (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
26 Jun 2026 Friday Ashoora (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
5 Jul 2026 Sunday Guru Hargobind Ji's Birthday Religious
15 Aug 2026 Saturday Independence Day National
26 Aug 2026 Wednesday Eid-i-Milad-ul-Nabi (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
28 Aug 2026 Friday Friday following Eid-i-Milad-ul-Nabi (subject to confirmation — lunar) Religious
4 Sep 2026 Friday Janmashtami Religious
23 Sep 2026 Wednesday Birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh Ji Commemorative
2 Oct 2026 Friday Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti National
20 Oct 2026 Tuesday Mahanavami Religious
20 Oct 2026 Tuesday Dussehra Religious
26 Oct 2026 Monday Accession Day Commemorative
8 Nov 2026 Sunday Diwali Religious
24 Nov 2026 Tuesday Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Birthday Religious
25 Dec 2026 Friday Christmas Day Religious

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How Jammu & Kashmir Holidays Impact Payroll and Leave Management?

Jammu & Kashmir's holiday calendar is among the most complex of any Indian state or Union Territory. At 28 Annexure-A holidays alone, it is significantly longer than most states, and this is before accounting for Annexure-B provincial holidays, local district-specific observances and restricted holidays that apply selectively depending on where an employee is based.

Nine holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar, each carrying a moon-sighting dependency that can shift the date by a day with no separate government order required. For organisations with employees spread across Jammu Province and Kashmir Province, the payroll calendar can be materially different between the two provinces in any given month. Maintaining a single centralised leave and payroll system that handles UT-wide, province-level and district-level holidays simultaneously is the core compliance challenge for HR teams operating in J&K.

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Frequently Asked Questions

28 gazetted holidays under Annexure-A of Government Order No. 1894-JK(GAD) of 2025, applicable to all government offices and educational institutions across the UT. Additional provincial holidays apply separately for Jammu Province and Kashmir Province under Annexure-B, along with district-specific local holidays and restricted holidays.