# Himachal Pradesh public holiday policies

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/himachal-pradesh-public-holiday-policies
> Updated: 2026-11-10T11:35:56.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

The Himachal Pradesh government has issued directives for public holidays related to religious festivals. On October 28, 2026, the state declared October 29 a public holiday for Karwa Chauth, applying to government offices, boards, corporations, and educational institutions, though commercial banks remained operational.

On November 10, 2026, the government announced a public holiday for Bhai Dooj on November 11. Under a policy shift by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, this holiday was extended to all government employees, including men. This marked a change from previous practices where holidays for festivals such as Raksha Bandhan, Karwa Chauth, and Bhai Dooj were restricted to female employees only. The holiday applies to all government offices and educational institutions, but is not classified as a bank holiday.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-10: Himachal Pradesh declares public holiday for Bhai Dooj

Himachal Pradesh has declared November 11, 2026, a public holiday for Bhai Dooj, extending the leave to both male and female government employees.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/himachal-pradesh-declares-public-holiday-for-bhai-dooj

### 2026-10-28: Himachal Pradesh declares October 29 public holiday for Karwa Chauth

The Himachal Pradesh government has declared October 29 a public holiday for Karwa Chauth, affecting state offices and educational institutions, though commercial banks will remain open.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/himachal-pradesh-declares-october-29-public-holiday-for-karwa-chauth

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Cite as: Himachal Pradesh public holiday policies. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/himachal-pradesh-public-holiday-policies