Kerala Public Holidays 2026: Government and NI Act Lists

How to read this holiday list

Kerala holidays 2026 are published in two separate, digitally signed Gazette notifications dated 31 October 2025. G.O.(P) 14/2025/GAD, Gazette No. 3845, lists 22 named closures for public offices under the Kerala Government, in addition to Sundays and second Saturdays. G.O.(P) 15/2025/GAD, Gazette No. 3846, lists 20 entries under the Negotiable Instruments Act, including an annual bank-account closing day. The two lists are not identical and must not be merged into a universal paid-leave schedule. The attached official PDF contains both Gazettes and the explanatory notes on moon-sighting, Sunday occasions, restricted leave and establishment coverage.

Government public-office list: G.O.(P) 14/2025/GAD

These 22 named entries are from the public-office Gazette. Sundays and second Saturdays are additional regular office closures. Restricted holidays and the special New Delhi office note are outside this table.

Negotiable Instruments Act list: G.O.(P) 15/2025/GAD

These 20 entries are the distinct NI Act schedule in Gazette 3846. The 1 April entry concerns closing of accounts of commercial and co-operative banks; it is not an extra government-office holiday in the other Gazette.

Later Bakrid announcement

The original Gazettes list 27 May for Bakrid and mark relevant religious dates as subject to moon sighting. A later Government of Kerala public announcement, last updated on 24 May 2026, says that 27 and 28 May are public holidays for Bakrid. The second date is therefore reported as a later announcement, not silently inserted into the 31 October Gazette tables. The announcement is available on the official Kerala government portal at kerala.gov.in/whatsnewdetailwise/MTY4Nzg2OTk5Ni4xMg%3D%3D. For a legal or payroll decision, locate the operative order and confirm its exact sectoral scope.

Labour-law establishments are treated separately

The NI Act Gazette itself says that holidays for institutions under the Industrial Disputes Act, Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, Minimum Wages Act and other labour laws will be governed by the Kerala Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958. A private employer should not promise each government-office date as paid leave without applying the relevant establishment law and terms. Banks also need to distinguish the 1 April account-closing day from ordinary public-office closures. These distinctions are why the two Gazette schedules are shown in separate tables rather than combined into a single count.

Sundays, restricted holidays and later orders

The public-office Gazette notes that Mahasivaratri, Easter and Deepavali fall on Sundays in 2026 and are therefore not in its main 22-entry list. It also contains three community-specific restricted-holiday provisions and a Holi closure for Kerala state offices and undertakings functioning in New Delhi. Those limited provisions should not be mistaken for additional statewide general holidays. Open the attached signed PDF to verify the exact text, then check later Gazette notices, district orders and official announcements before using this page as an operational calendar. If a later controlling order differs, that order takes priority.

Official orders used

• Kerala Gazettes 3845 and 3846 - Public Holidays 2026.pdf