Telangana government announces holiday calendar for 2026

The Telangana government has released the official holiday list for 2026. According to orders from the Chief Secretary, a total of 27 public holidays and 26 optional holidays have been declared. On public holidays, government offices and schools will remain closed, while employees can choose up to five days from the optional holidays based on personal preference or religious observance.

The list includes major festivals and national celebrations such as Sankranti, Republic Day, Eid, Dussehra, Diwali, and Christmas. Optional holidays allow employees flexibility to observe other significant days that may be important to them.

The Telangana government has aligned public holidays with key national and regional celebrations. Some of the important dates include Bhogi (January 14), Sankranti (January 15), Republic Day (January 26), Holi (March 3), Ugadi (March 19), Eid al-Fitr (March 21), Sri Rama Navami (March 27), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14), Eid al-Adha (May 27), Bonalu (August 10), Independence Day (August 15), Ganesh Chaturthi (September 14), Vijayadashami/Dussehra (October 20), Diwali (November 8), and Christmas (December 25).

In addition to these holidays, all Sundays and second Saturdays of each month will continue to be non-working days for government offices.

Alongside public holidays, the government has announced 26 optional holidays for 2026. Employees may select up to five days from this list to suit their personal or religious needs. Some notable optional holidays include New Year’s Day (January 1), Kanuma (January 16), Sri Panchami (January 23), Mahavir Jayanti (March 31), Buddha Purnima (May 1), Naraka Chaturdashi (November 8), and Christmas Eve (December 24).

With this holiday schedule, the Telangana government aims to balance national, regional, and religious observances, providing equal recognition to diverse cultural and spiritual celebrations.