Parv-tyohaar 2026
Jharkhand Festivals 2026
All 67 festivals and observances of 2026, from Sohrai and Tusu in January to Christmas in the churches of Gumla — with Adivasi, Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jain festivals of the state.
January 2026
- 1JanThu
New Year's Day नव वर्ष
Calendar new year; picnics at Patratu valley, Dassam falls and Hundru draw big crowds on 1 January.
Festival - 3JanSat
Jaipal Singh Munda Jayanti जयपाल सिंह मुंडा जयंती
Captain of India's 1928 Olympic gold hockey team and the first voice in the Constituent Assembly for Adivasi rights.
Festival - 3JanSat
Mage Parab (Ho) मागे परब
The biggest festival of the Ho people of Kolhan: Desauli, the village guardian, is thanked with handia and rice, and nights of dance follow in West Singhbhum.
Festival - 12JanMon
Sohrai (Santhal) सोहराय
The Santhal harvest festival of cattle and kinship: houses are freshly plastered, cattle are bathed and anointed, and the village dances to the tamak and tumdak.
Holiday - 13JanTue
Sohrai – Khuntaw सोहराय · खुंटाव
Day of the tethered bull: cattle are tied to wooden posts (khunta) and teased with dry hides while drummers play — a test of strength and a thanksgiving.
Holiday - 14JanWed
Makar Sankranti · Tusu Parab मकर संक्रांति · टुसू परब
Tusu, the maiden goddess of the Kurmi and Panchpargana belt, is carried in tall paper chaudal to the river after a month of songs; dahi-chura and pitha everywhere.
Holiday - 23JanFri
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti नेताजी सुभाष चंद्र बोस जयंती
Netaji's last stay in India was at Gomoh in Dhanbad district — the station is now named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Gomoh.
Holiday - 23JanFri
Basant Panchami (Saraswati Puja) बसंत पंचमी · सरस्वती पूजा
Students set up Saraswati pandals in schools and colleges; immersion at Ranchi's Bada Talab the next evening.
Holiday - 26JanMon
Republic Day गणतंत्र दिवस
National holiday. The Governor unfurls the flag at Morabadi ground, Ranchi; the Chief Minister at Dumka.
Holiday
February 2026
- 1FebSun
Sant Ravidas Jayanti संत रविदास जयंती
Magh Purnima birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas.
Holiday - 15FebSun
Maha Shivratri महाशिवरात्रि
Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas — holds the Shiv-barat procession through the night.
Holiday - 22FebSun
Baha Parab (Santhal) बाहा परब
Santhal flower festival as sal and mahua bloom: the naeke (priest) worships at the jaher than, and people sprinkle water on each other instead of colour.
Festival
March 2026
- 3MarTue
Holika Dahan होलिका दहन
Bonfire on Phagun Purnima; in many villages it is called Sammat or Chanchar.
Holiday - 4MarWed
Holi होली
Colours the morning after Holika Dahan; Phagua songs and malpua in towns, dhol and mandar in villages.
Holiday - 21MarSat
Sarhul सरहुल
Jharkhand's spring new year. The pahan worships the sal grove (sarna), reads the coming rains in pots of water, and Ranchi fills with processions in red-and-white.
Holiday - 21MarSat
Id-ul-Fitr ईद-उल-फितर
End of Ramzan. Date depends on moon sighting.
Holiday - 22MarSun
Chaiti Chhath – Nahay Khay चैती छठ · नहाय खाय
First day of the spring Chhath.
Festival - 22MarSun
Sarhul – Phulkhonsi सरहुल · फूलखोंसी
The day after Sarhul: the pahan visits every home and tucks sal flowers into the roof, wishing the family a good year.
Festival - 24MarTue
Chaiti Chhath – Sandhya Arghya चैती छठ · संध्या अर्घ्य
Evening offering to the Sun on Chaitra Shukla Shashthi.
Festival - 26MarThu
Ram Navami राम नवमी
Ranchi and Hazaribagh are known for huge Ram Navami processions with tall mahavir jhandas and akharas.
Holiday - 31MarTue
Mahavir Jayanti महावीर जयंती
Parasnath hill (Shikharji) in Giridih is the holiest Jain site — twenty of the twenty-four Tirthankaras attained nirvana there.
Holiday
April 2026
- 3AprFri
Good Friday गुड फ्राइडे
Christian observance; St Mary's Cathedral and the GEL Church in Ranchi hold processions.
Holiday - 14AprTue
Ambedkar Jayanti अंबेडकर जयंती
Birth anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
Holiday - 14AprTue
Manda Parab · Mesh Sankranti मंडा परब
Shiva festival of the Kurmi and Bhokta communities: devotees walk on embers and swing from poles as a vow at Mesh Sankranti.
Festival - 20AprMon
Akshaya Tritiya अक्षय तृतीया
Auspicious day for gold, new ventures and weddings.
Festival
May 2026
- 1MayFri
Buddha Purnima · Raghunath Murmu Jayanti बुद्ध पूर्णिमा · पंडित रघुनाथ मुर्मू जयंती
Also the birth anniversary of Pandit Raghunath Murmu, who created the Ol Chiki script for Santali in 1925.
Holiday - 1MayFri
May Day मजदूर दिवस
Workers' Day — big in the coal and steel towns of Dhanbad, Bokaro and Jamshedpur.
Holiday - 16MaySat
Vat Savitri Vrat वट सावित्री व्रत
Married women worship the banyan on Jyeshtha Amavasya.
Festival - 27MayWed
Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) ईद-उल-जुहा
Festival of sacrifice. Date depends on moon sighting.
Holiday
June 2026
- 26JunFri
Muharram मुहर्रम
Ashura. Date depends on moon sighting.
Holiday - 30JunTue
Hul Diwas हूल दिवस
On 30 June 1855 Sidho and Kanhu Murmu gathered thousands of Santhals at Bhognadih (Sahibganj) and declared the Hul against the British and moneylenders.
Holiday
July 2026
- 16JulThu
Rath Yatra (Jagannathpur) रथ यात्रा · जगन्नाथपुर
Ranchi's Jagannathpur temple, built in 1691 by Thakur Ani Nath Shahdeo, pulls its chariot to the Mausibari; a nine-day mela follows.
Holiday - 29JulWed
Guru Purnima गुरु पूर्णिमा
Disciples honour their teachers; the Shravani Mela at Deoghar begins the next day.
Festival - 30JulThu
Shravani Mela begins (Deoghar) श्रावणी मेला · देवघर
Kanwariyas walk 105 km from Sultanganj with Ganga water for Baba Baidyanath; many continue to Basukinath in Dumka.
Festival
August 2026
- 9AugSun
World Indigenous Peoples' Day विश्व आदिवासी दिवस
Cultural programmes in every district; Jharkhand has 32 notified Scheduled Tribes.
Festival - 15AugSat
Independence Day स्वतंत्रता दिवस
National holiday.
Holiday - 17AugMon
Nag Panchami नाग पंचमी
Serpent deities are worshipped; Manasa puja follows in the Bengal-bordering districts.
Festival - 26AugWed
Milad-un-Nabi मिलाद-उन-नबी
Birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Date depends on moon sighting.
Holiday - 28AugFri
Raksha Bandhan रक्षा बंधन
Rakhi on Shravana Purnima.
Holiday
September 2026
- 4SepFri
Krishna Janmashtami कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी
Midnight birth of Krishna; jhankis in towns and dahi-handi in Jamshedpur.
Holiday - 14SepMon
Ganesh Chaturthi गणेश चतुर्थी
Pandals in Jamshedpur, Ranchi and Dhanbad, where many families came from Maharashtra and the south with the steel and coal industries.
Holiday - 14SepMon
Hartalika Teej हरितालिका तीज
Nirjala fast by married women for Shiva and Parvati.
Festival - 17SepThu
Vishwakarma Puja विश्वकर्मा पूजा
Machines, trucks and factories are worshipped — a giant day in the steel, coal and mining belt.
Holiday - 22SepTue
Karma Puja करमा पूजा
Sisters fast and plant karam branches in the akhra; the night is spent singing and dancing around them, and jawa (sprouted grain) baskets are blessed for brothers and the crop.
Holiday - 23SepWed
Karma – Phoolkharkosi करमा · फूलखरकोसी
Morning after Karma: the karam branch is immersed in the river and the jawa sprouts are shared and tucked in hair.
Holiday
October 2026
- 2OctFri
Gandhi Jayanti गांधी जयंती
National holiday.
Holiday - 4OctSun
Jitiya (Jivitputrika) जितिया · जीवित्पुत्रिका
Mothers keep a nirjala fast for their children; in villages women dance the jitia jhumar around a pakad branch.
Festival - 10OctSat
Mahalaya महालया
End of Pitru Paksha; Devi Paksha begins, with Mahishasura Mardini on the radio before dawn.
Festival - 11OctSun
Navratri · Kalash Sthapana नवरात्रि · कलश स्थापना
Durga Puja begins; Ranchi's Bakri Bazar and Jamshedpur's Bengali clubs build famous pandals.
Festival - 18OctSun
Durga Puja (Saptami) दुर्गा पूजा · सप्तमी
Pandal doors open and the city stays awake.
Festival - 19OctMon
Durga Puja (Maha Ashtami) महाअष्टमी
Sandhi puja and pushpanjali.
Holiday - 20OctTue
Durga Puja (Maha Navami) महानवमी
Havan and the last day of Navratri.
Holiday - 20OctTue
Vijayadashami (Dussehra) विजयादशमी
Ravan Dahan at Morabadi; sindoor khela in Bengali pandals before immersion.
Holiday - 25OctSun
Sharad Purnima शरद पूर्णिमा
Kheer is left under the full moon overnight.
Festival
November 2026
- 6NovFri
Dhanteras धनतेरस
Utensils and gold bought for prosperity.
Festival - 8NovSun
Deepawali · Kali Puja दीपावली · काली पूजा
Diyas and Lakshmi puja; Kali Puja the same night in the Bengal-bordering towns.
Holiday - 9NovMon
Govardhan Puja गोवर्धन पूजा
Annakut and worship of cattle.
Holiday - 9NovMon
Bandna Parab · Sohrai (Kartik) बांधना परब · सोहराय
Cattle festival of the Kurmi, Mahato and Oraon villages after Diwali; Hazaribagh's women paint Sohrai murals on mud walls.
Festival - 11NovWed
Bhai Dooj · Chitragupta Puja भाई दूज · चित्रगुप्त पूजा
Sisters pray for brothers; Kayasth families worship pen and ledger.
Holiday - 13NovFri
Chhath – Nahay Khay छठ · नहाय खाय
Day 1 of Chhath: bath and kaddu-bhaat.
Festival - 14NovSat
Chhath – Kharna छठ · खरना
Day 2: gur-kheer after sunset; the long fast begins.
Festival - 15NovSun
Chhath – Sandhya Arghya छठ · संध्या अर्घ्य
Evening arghya at Ranchi's Bada Talab, Hatania Talab, Dhurwa dam and the Subarnarekha ghats.
Holiday - 15NovSun
Birsa Munda Jayanti · Jharkhand Sthapna Diwas बिरसा मुंडा जयंती · झारखंड स्थापना दिवस
Dharti Aaba Birsa Munda was born at Ulihatu on 15 November 1875; Jharkhand became a state on his birthday in 2000. Celebrated nationally as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
Holiday - 16NovMon
Chhath – Usha Arghya छठ · उषा अर्घ्य
Morning arghya to the rising Sun; prasad is shared at the ghat.
Holiday - 21NovSat
Devuthan Ekadashi देवउठनी एकादशी
Vishnu wakes; the wedding season opens.
Festival - 24NovTue
Guru Nanak Jayanti · Kartik Purnima गुरु नानक जयंती · कार्तिक पूर्णिमा
Prakash Parv; Kartik snan at rivers and dams.
Holiday
December 2026
- 25DecFri
Christmas क्रिसमस
Jharkhand has one of India's largest Adivasi Christian communities; midnight mass at Ranchi's cathedrals and village churches of Gumla and Simdega.
Holiday