Bihar Holiday List 2027: General, Optional, Public and Bank Holidays Explained

 

The Government of Bihar has issued its official holiday notification for the calendar year 2027. The notification, issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government, Hon’ble Pankaj Kumar, under the authority of the Governor of Bihar, sets out four separate schedules covering general holidays, optional or restricted holidays, public holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881, and the annual bank account closing holiday.

👉 Download the Notification - Bihar Holiday List 2027: [Click Here to Access the File]

For government employees, revenue court officials and bank customers alike, the distinction between these categories matters a great deal. A holiday that applies automatically to a secretariat office may not apply to a divisional commissioner's office, and an optional holiday is not a holiday unless it is formally approved. This article explains the notification in plain terms, schedule by schedule, so that readers understand not just the dates but the legal basis and conditions attached to each category.

 

What the Notification Actually Says

The notification opens by declaring that in the year 2027, all offices under the State Government and all revenue magistrate courts will observe general holidays on the festivals and occasions listed in Schedule 1, under executive order.

In addition to those general holidays, state government employees may avail a maximum of any three holidays during the year from the list of optional or restricted holidays in Schedule 2.

The notification then deals with the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881. It notes that apart from Sundays, which are already defined as public holidays under the Explanation to Section 25 of the Act read with the Home Ministry's notification number 20-25/26/PV-1 dated 8 June 1957, two further categories apply. First, the festivals and occasions listed in Schedule 3 will be public holidays in Bihar in 2027. Second, the occasion listed in Schedule 4 will be observed as the annual bank account closing holiday in Bihar in 2027.

 

Schedule 1: General Holidays for Government Offices and Revenue Magistrate Courts

Schedule 1 lists twelve occasions on which all state government offices and all revenue magistrate courts will remain closed. These are the standard general holidays for the year.

The list begins with Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti on 15 January 2027, a Friday, followed by Shab-e-Barat on 24 January 2027, a Sunday. Vasant Panchami falls on 11 February 2027, a Thursday, and Sant Ravidas Jayanti on 20 February 2027, a Saturday. Mahashivratri is on 6 March 2027, a Saturday.

After March, the schedule lists Sabrat Ashok Ashtami on 14 April 2027, a Wednesday, and Veer Kunwar Singh Jayanti on 23 April 2027, a Friday. Janaki Navami follows on 14 May 2027, a Friday, and Kabir Jayanti on 18 June 2027, a Friday.

The later part of the year includes Chehallum on 25 July 2027, a Sunday, Durga Puja on Saptami, 6 October 2027, a Wednesday, and Chitragupta Puja along with Bhai Dooj on 31 October 2027, a Sunday.

Three notes apply to this schedule. Muslim festival dates may shift depending on the sighting of the moon. The five-day working week continues to apply in secretariat departments and directorates. The six-day working week continues to apply in regional offices, including divisional commissioner offices and chief engineer offices. Employees in these offices should therefore read the holiday list together with their working week system, because a six-day week means Saturdays remain working days except where a holiday specifically falls on a Saturday.

 

Schedule 2: Optional and Restricted Holidays for State Government Employees

Schedule 2 is the most misunderstood part of the notification. These are not automatic holidays. They are optional or restricted holidays, and an employee may use a maximum of three of them across the entire year.

The schedule lists twenty-two occasions. These include New Year's Day on 1 January 2027, Makar Sankranti on 15 January 2027, Karpoori Thakur Jayanti on 24 January 2027, the last Friday of Ramzan on 5 March 2027, Eid-ul-Fitr on 11 March 2027, Holika Dahan on 22 March 2027, Eid-ul-Azha or Bakrid on 18 May 2027, Muharram or Youm-e-Ashura on 17 June 2027, and Anugrah Narayan Sinha Jayanti on 18 June 2027.

The second half of the year includes the last Shravani Monday on 16 August 2027, Raksha Bandhan on 17 August 2027, Hartalika Teej Vrat on 3 September 2027, Anant Chaturdashi on 14 September 2027, Vishwakarma Puja on 17 September 2027, and Jivitputrika Vrat on 23 September 2027.

The remaining entries are Durga Puja Kalash Sthapana on 1 October 2027, Durga Puja Ekadashi on 10 October 2027, Jayaprakash Narayan Jayanti on 11 October 2027, Shri Krishna Singh Jayanti on 21 October 2027, Chhath Puja Kharna on 3 November 2027, Dr Rajendra Prasad Jayanti on 3 December 2027, and Christmas Eve on 24 December 2027.

The notes to this schedule are important. The three-holiday cap applies for the whole year. Employees must obtain prior approval, and that approval can be given by the authority competent to sanction casual leave. Approval is to be granted keeping in mind the requirements of official work, which means it is not an entitlement to be claimed as a matter of right. The benefit extends to all regular employees, contract employees and employees engaged through outsourced sources.

A practical point deserves emphasis. If an employee wishes to observe, say, Makar Sankranti and Eid-ul-Fitr and Christmas Eve, those three choices exhaust the annual limit. Any further optional holiday in the same year would not be permissible under this notification.

 

Schedule 3: Public Holidays Under the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881

Schedule 3 carries a different legal character from Schedules 1 and 2. These are public holidays declared under the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881. Under the explanation to Section 25 of the Act, the question of what counts as a public holiday affects the computation of time for negotiable instruments, including bills of exchange, cheques and promissory notes.

The schedule lists twenty occasions, some spanning multiple days. Republic Day is on 26 January 2027, a Tuesday. Eid-ul-Fitr is on 10 March 2027, a Wednesday. Bihar Diwas is on 22 March 2027, a Monday. Holi covers two days, 23 March 2027, a Tuesday, and 24 March 2027, a Wednesday. Good Friday is on 26 March 2027, a Friday.

Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar's birth anniversary is on 14 April 2027, a Wednesday, Ram Navami on 15 April 2027, a Thursday, Mahavir Jayanti on 19 April 2027, a Monday, and May Day on 1 May 2027, a Saturday.

Eid-ul-Azha is on 17 May 2027, a Monday, Buddha Purnima on 20 May 2027, a Thursday, and Muharram on 16 June 2027, a Wednesday. Independence Day falls on 15 August 2027, a Sunday, and the birthday of Hazrat Muhammad Sahib also falls on 15 August 2027, a Sunday. Shri Krishna Janmashtami is on 25 August 2027, a Wednesday.

Gandhi Jayanti is on 2 October 2027, a Saturday. Durga Puja spans three days, 7 October 2027 for Ashtami, a Thursday, 8 October 2027 for Navami, a Friday, and 9 October 2027 for Dashami, a Saturday. Diwali is on 29 October 2027, a Friday. Chhath Puja covers two days, 4 November 2027, a Thursday, and 5 November 2027, a Friday. Christmas is on 25 December 2027, a Saturday.

The note to this schedule states that moon sighting may alter Muslim festival dates and that the holidays declared under the NI Act will automatically apply to all state government offices and revenue magistrate courts as well.

 

Schedule 4: Annual Bank Account Closing Holiday

Schedule 4 contains a single entry. The annual bank account closing holiday falls on 1 April 2027, a Thursday, corresponding to Chaitra Krishna Dashami. This is the day observed as the annual closing of bank accounts under the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881.

 

Why the Four Schedules Cannot Be Read Interchangeably

The most common error made by employees and by the public is to treat every date in the notification as a holiday for everyone. That is not how the notification works.

Schedule 1 holidays apply automatically to state government offices and revenue magistrate courts. Schedule 2 holidays apply to state government employees only if approved, and only up to three in the year. Schedule 3 holidays carry statutory significance under the Negotiable Instruments Act and apply automatically to state government offices and revenue magistrate courts as well, as the note clarifies. Schedule 4 identifies the single bank account closing holiday.

The working week note adds another layer. Secretariats and directorates follow a five-day week, while regional offices follow a six-day week. An employee in a divisional commissioner's office may therefore find that a holiday falling on a Saturday does not translate into a day off in the same way it would for a secretariat colleague.

 

Dates That Fall on Sundays and Saturdays

Several listed holidays coincide with weekends, which reduces the practical benefit of the holiday. Shab-e-Barat and Chehallum fall on Sundays in Schedule 1. In Schedule 2, Karpoori Thakur Jayanti and Durga Puja Ekadashi fall on Sundays. In Schedule 3, Independence Day and the birthday of Hazrat Muhammad Sahib both fall on Sunday, 15 August 2027, and several others fall on Saturdays, including May Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Durga Puja Dashami and Christmas.

Employees planning leave around festivals should map these dates against their own working week before applying for optional holidays, so that the three permitted choices are used where they add the most value.

 

Key Takeaways for Different Readers

For state government employees, the notification means twelve general holidays under Schedule 1, a maximum of three approved optional holidays from Schedule 2, and the Schedule 3 public holidays which apply automatically to their offices. Prior approval is mandatory for any Schedule 2 holiday.

For revenue magistrate courts, Schedules 1 and 3 apply automatically, and Schedule 2 is not applicable in the same manner as it is for employees.

For banks and their customers, the annual bank account closing holiday is 1 April 2027, and the Schedule 3 public holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act are relevant to the computation of time for negotiable instruments.

For the general public, the notification is a reliable guide to when government offices and courts will be closed, but it is not a declaration of holidays for private establishments, schools or other institutions, which are governed by their own rules.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many general holidays are there in Bihar in 2027?

Schedule 1 lists twelve general holidays for state government offices and revenue magistrate courts.

How many optional holidays can a Bihar government employee take in 2027?

A maximum of three optional or restricted holidays from Schedule 2 may be availed during the entire year, with prior approval from the competent authority.

Is Schedule 2 applicable to all employees?

Yes, the note states that regular employees, contract employees and employees engaged through outsourced sources may avail these optional holidays, subject to the three-holiday cap and prior approval.

When is the Bihar bank account closing holiday in 2027?

1 April 2027, a Thursday.

Do Schedule 3 holidays apply to government offices?

Yes, the note to Schedule 3 states that the holidays declared under the Negotiable Instruments Act will automatically apply to all state government offices and revenue magistrate courts.

Can Muslim festival dates change?

Yes, the notes to Schedules 1, 2 and 3 state that the dates of Muslim festivals may change depending on the sighting of the moon.

Does the five-day week apply everywhere?

No. The five-day working week applies to secretariat departments and directorates, while regional offices, including divisional commissioner offices and chief engineer offices, continue with a six-day working week.

 

Disclaimer

This article is an explanatory summary of the Bihar Government holiday notification for the year 2027 and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for the official gazette notification, nor is it legal, administrative or professional advice. While every effort has been made to present the dates and conditions accurately, readers should rely on the official notification as published in the Bihar Gazette (Extraordinary) and available through the eGazette portal of the Government of Bihar. Holiday dates, particularly those dependent on the sighting of the moon, are subject to change as stated in the notification itself. The applicability of any holiday to a particular office, court, bank or individual depends on the relevant service rules, working week system and administrative orders in force. Readers should verify all details with their employing department, institution or competent authority before acting on the information contained in this article. The author and publisher accept no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from reliance on this summary.