September 2026 school holidays: Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi and state-specific holiday dates
September school holidays 2026: Schools across India will observe several festival-linked and regional holidays in September 2026. While some holidays are observed across multiple states, others are linked to local festivals, religious occasions or state-specific commemorative days.The exact holiday schedule can differ between state boards, CBSE and ICSE schools, as well as individual institutions. Students and parents should check their school’s official academic calendar before treating a particular date as a confirmed school holiday.Common school holidays in SeptemberSeptember 4 is listed as the common festival holiday across the states covered in the available schedules. Schools following a standard weekly calendar will also remain closed on Sundays.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
| September 4, 2026 | Friday | Janmashtami |
| September 6, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| September 12, 2026 | Saturday | 2nd Saturday |
| September 13, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| September 14, 2026 | Monday | Ganesh Chaturthi |
| September 20, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| September 26, 2026 | Saturday | 4th Saturday |
| September 27, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna and is observed as a school holiday across numerous states and regions.State-specific school holidays and reasonsSeveral additional holidays fall on different dates because of regional festivals and commemorative occasions. These dates are not applicable uniformly across India.
| Date | States/regions | Reason for holiday |
| September 5, 2026 | Punjab | Baba Jiwan Singh Ji’s birthday — schools observe the birth anniversary of the Sikh historical figure. |
| September 12, 2026 | Punjab | First Prakash Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Saragarhi Day — the date marks the first installation of the Guru Granth Sahib and commemorates the Battle of Saragarhi. |
| September 14, 2026 | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other regions | Ganesh Chaturthi/Vinayaka Chavithi — schools close for celebrations marking the birth of Lord Ganesha; some northern regions also observe Hartalika Teej, dedicated to Goddess Parvati. |
| September 17, 2026 | Bihar, Assam and parts of Gujarat | Vishwakarma Puja — the festival honours Lord Vishwakarma, regarded as the divine architect and craftsman. Gujarat also observes Samvatsari around this period as an important Jain religious occasion. |
| September 18, 2026 | Gujarat | Samvatsari — the Jain festival marks the final day of Paryushan and is associated with forgiveness and spiritual observance. |
| September 21, 2026 | Kerala, Rajasthan | Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi in Kerala — the day commemorates Sree Narayana Guru; Rajasthan observes Ramdev Jayanti/Teja Dashami as a regional religious occasion. |
| September 23, 2026 | Haryana | Shaheedi Diwas — schools observe the day to honour and remember martyrs. |
| September 25, 2026 | Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat and selected regions | Anant Chaturdashi/Ganesh Visarjan — the occasion marks the conclusion of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols. |
| September 28, 2026 | Punjab | S. Bhagat Singh Ji’s birthday — schools observe the birth anniversary of the Indian freedom fighter. |
Festival breaks may differ between schoolsMaharashtra schools may have additional days off around Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Visarjan, depending on the institution’s academic calendar. Some schools may provide a longer Ganpati break rather than closing only on the principal festival dates.In Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, schools may conduct examinations during September before their longer Dasara or quarterly vacation periods. West Bengal schools also use September for regular classes before the larger Durga Puja and autumn vacation period in October.Check the official school calendarThe dates listed above combine common, regional and state-specific holidays from the schedules provided. A state holiday does not necessarily mean every private school will follow the same closure.Parents and students should therefore check the latest circular issued by their school, education department or relevant board before planning travel or other activities around the September 2026 holidays.
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