The Department of Posts has released the Holiday List for the year 2027 for all post offices and Central Government offices.
The order was issued on 08.09.2026 vide Letter No. Y-21/2/2026-PE-II-DOP, forwarding the DoPT Office Memorandum No. 12/2/2023-JCA dated 16.07.2026.
If you are a Postman, MTS, GDS, Postal Assistant or Sorting Assistant, this is the list you will plan your leave, LTC and family functions around next year. Here is everything in simple language.
Circular at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| DoP Letter No. | Y-21/2/2026-PE-II-DOP dated 08.09.2026 |
| DoPT OM No. | 12/2/2023-JCA dated 16.07.2026 |
| Issued By | Department of Posts, Establishment Division, Dak Bhawan |
| Signed By | Prabha Sharma, ADG (PE-I/SCT) |
| Sent To | All Chief Postmasters General, All Postmasters General, All PTCs |
| Year Covered | Calendar Year 2027 |
| Compulsory Holidays | 14 |
| Optional Holidays (choose 3) | 12 |
| Restricted Holidays (choose 2) | 32 listed for Delhi |
How the Holiday System Actually Works
Many employees get confused every year. Here is the simple structure:
- 14 holidays are compulsory for every Central Government office in India.
- 3 more holidays are chosen from a list of 12 optional holidays.
- For Delhi / New Delhi offices — chosen by DoPT.
- For offices outside Delhi — chosen by the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee in the State Capital.
- So the total gazetted holidays come to 17 in a year.
- Every employee can additionally take any 2 Restricted Holidays (RH) of their own choice.
- Once the final state list is notified, no change is permitted in the festivals or dates.
The 14 Compulsory Holidays (All India)
- Republic Day
- Independence Day
- Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday
- Buddha Purnima
- Christmas Day
- Dussehra (Vijaya Dashmi)
- Diwali (Deepavali)
- Good Friday
- Guru Nanak’s Birthday
- Idu’l Fitr
- Idu’l Zuha
- Mahavir Jayanti
- Muharram
- Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday (Id-e-Milad)
The 12 Optional Holidays (Choose Any 3)
- An additional day for Dussehra
- Holi
- Janamashtami (Vaishnav)
- Ram Navami
- Maha Shivratri
- Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayak Chaturthi
- Makar Sankranti
- Rath Yatra
- Onam
- Pongal
- Sri Panchami / Basant Panchami
- Vishu / Vaisakhi / Vaisakhadi / Bahag Bihu / Mashadi / Ugadi / Chaitra Sukladi / Cheti Chand / Gudi Padava / 1st Navratra / Naoraz / Chhath Pooja / Karva Chauth
Important: The 9 occasions left over after choosing the 3 variable holidays must be added to the Restricted Holiday list of that state.
Annexure-I: Gazetted Holiday List 2027 (Delhi / New Delhi Offices)
| S.No. | Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Republic Day | 26 January 2027 | Tuesday |
| 2 | Id-ul-Fitr | 10 March 2027 | Wednesday |
| 3 | Holi | 23 March 2027 | Tuesday |
| 4 | Good Friday | 26 March 2027 | Friday |
| 5 | Ram Navami | 15 April 2027 | Thursday |
| 6 | Mahavir Jayanti | 19 April 2027 | Monday |
| 7 | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | 17 May 2027 | Monday |
| 8 | Budha Purnima | 20 May 2027 | Thursday |
| 9 | Muharram | 16 June 2027 | Wednesday |
| 10 | Independence Day | 15 August 2027 | Sunday |
| 11 | Milad-un-Nabi / Id-e-Milad | 15 August 2027 | Sunday |
| 12 | Janmashtami (Vaishnav) | 25 August 2027 | Wednesday |
| 13 | Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday | 02 October 2027 | Saturday |
| 14 | Dussehra (Vijaya Dashmi) | 09 October 2027 | Saturday |
| 15 | Diwali (Deepavali) | 29 October 2027 | Friday |
| 16 | Guru Nanak’s Birthday | 14 November 2027 | Sunday |
| 17 | Christmas Day | 25 December 2027 | Saturday |
Note: This Annexure-I list applies to Delhi / New Delhi. Your circle’s final list will be notified by the Coordination Committee in your State Capital.
Annexure-II: Restricted Holiday (RH) List 2027 – Delhi / New Delhi
Each employee can choose any 2 from this list.
| S.No. | Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Year’s Day | 01 January 2027 | Friday |
| 2 | Makar Sankranti / Magha Bihu | 14 January 2027 | Thursday |
| 3 | Pongal, Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday | 15 January 2027 | Friday |
| 4 | Sri Panchami, Basant Panchami | 11 February 2027 | Thursday |
| 5 | Shiva Ji Jayanti | 19 February 2027 | Friday |
| 6 | Guru Ravi Das’s Birthday | 20 February 2027 | Saturday |
| 7 | Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s Birthday | 02 March 2027 | Tuesday |
| 8 | Jamat-Ul-Vida | 05 March 2027 | Friday |
| 9 | Maha Shivratri | 06 March 2027 | Saturday |
| 10 | Holika Dahan, Dolyatra | 22 March 2027 | Monday |
| 11 | Easter Sunday | 28 March 2027 | Sunday |
| 12 | Chaitra Sukladi / Gudi Padava / Ugadi / Cheti Chand / 1st Navratra | 07 April 2027 | Wednesday |
| 13 | Vaisakhi / Vishu / Meshadi (Tamil New Year’s Day) | 14 April 2027 | Wednesday |
| 14 | Vaisakhadi (Bengal) / Bahag Bihu (Assam) | 15 April 2027 | Thursday |
| 15 | Guru Rabindranath Tagore’s Birthday | 09 May 2027 | Sunday |
| 16 | Rath Yatra | 05 July 2027 | Monday |
| 17 | Parsi New Year’s Day / Navroz | 15 August 2027 | Sunday |
| 18 | Raksha Bandhan | 17 August 2027 | Tuesday |
| 19 | Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayak Chaturthi | 04 September 2027 | Saturday |
| 20 | Onam or Thiru Onam Day | 12 September 2027 | Sunday |
| 21 | Dusshera (Saptami) | 06 October 2027 | Wednesday |
| 22 | Dussehra (Mahashtami) | 07 October 2027 | Thursday |
| 23 | Dussehra (Mahanavmi) | 08 October 2027 | Friday |
| 24 | Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday | 15 October 2027 | Friday |
| 25 | Karaka Chaturthi (Karwa Chouth) | 18 October 2027 | Monday |
| 26 | Naraka Chaturdasi | 28 October 2027 | Thursday |
| 27 | Govardhan Puja | 30 October 2027 | Saturday |
| 28 | Bhai Duj | 31 October 2027 | Sunday |
| 29 | Pratihar Shashthi / Surya Shashthi (Chhath Puja) | 04 November 2027 | Thursday |
| 30 | Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day | 24 November 2027 | Wednesday |
| 31 | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | 12 December 2027 | Sunday |
| 32 | Christmas Eve | 24 December 2027 | Friday |
State capitals may prepare their own RH list based on occasions of local importance, but the 9 leftover optional holidays must be included in it.
Important Rules You Must Know
1. No Substitute Holiday
If a declared festival holiday falls on a weekly off or another non-working day, or if two festivals fall on the same day, you will not get a substitute holiday.
This matters a lot in 2027, because several holidays fall on weekends:
- Independence Day and Id-e-Milad both fall on Sunday, 15 August 2027 – two holidays on one Sunday.
- Gandhi Jayanti, Dussehra and Christmas all fall on Saturday.
- Guru Nanak’s Birthday falls on Sunday.
So 2027 has fewer “extra off days” than usual for staff with Saturday-Sunday off.
2. Moon-Sighting Holidays Can Change
Dates of Idu’l Fitr, Idu’l Zuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad may change based on moon sighting.
- Delhi offices: change declared by the Ministry of Personnel after checking with Govt. of NCT of Delhi / DCP Special Branch.
- Outside Delhi: the Coordination Committee at the State Capital can change the date based on the State Government’s decision.
- If the change comes at short notice, announcement through PIB / TV / AIR / newspapers is enough. Heads of Office can act on it without waiting for a formal order.
3. Diwali 2027 and Naraka Chaturdasi
Diwali falls on Friday, 29 October 2027. Some states celebrate a day earlier on Naraka Chaturdasi (28 October 2027). There is no objection to observing the Diwali holiday on Naraka Chaturdasi Day in a state where that day alone is declared as the compulsory Diwali holiday for State Government offices.
4. Industrial and Commercial Establishments
Central Government organisations including industrial, commercial and trading establishments will observe up to 16 holidays in a year, including the three national holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti) as compulsory.
5. Other Categories
- Union Territories: holiday list decided as per Ministry of Home Affairs instructions.
- Indian Missions abroad: can select 10 holidays of their own after including the three National Holidays, Id-e-Milad, Dussehra, Guru Nanak’s Birthday and Christmas Day.
- Banks: governed by Department of Financial Services instructions.
What Postal Circles Have to Do Now
- Draw up the holiday list for operative and administrative offices under their control for 2027.
- Choose the 3 variable holidays in consultation with the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee at the State Capital.
- Notify the final list uniformly for all offices in the state.
- Update the holiday list on the India Post website at the earliest and report compliance to the Directorate.
So the circle-wise holiday list for Delhi Circle, Punjab Circle, Haryana Circle, Rajasthan Circle, Uttar Pradesh Circle, Bihar Circle, Madhya Pradesh Circle, Maharashtra Circle, Gujarat Circle, Tamil Nadu Circle, Karnataka Circle, Kerala Circle, Odisha Circle, Assam Circle and West Bengal Circle will be published separately on the India Post website.
Smart Leave Planning Tips for 2027
- Take RH strategically. You only get 2 Restricted Holidays. Pick ones that fall on a Monday or Friday to make a long weekend – for example Holika Dahan (Mon, 22 March), Rath Yatra (Mon, 5 July) or Karwa Chauth (Mon, 18 October).
- October 2027 is the best month. Gandhi Jayanti (Sat 2), Dussehra (Sat 9), Diwali (Fri 29) plus Dussehra RH days from 6-8 October give plenty of scope for a long family break.
- Plan LTC around the Diwali week. Friday 29 October Diwali plus a couple of casual leaves gives a solid trip window.
- Apply for RH early. Popular RH dates fill quickly in offices where minimum staff must be present.
- Do not expect compensation for holidays falling on Sundays. Plan your casual leave accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many holidays will post offices get in 2027? 17 gazetted holidays – 14 compulsory plus 3 chosen from the optional list – plus 2 Restricted Holidays per employee.
Q. Is the Annexure-I list the final list for my post office? No. Annexure-I is for Delhi / New Delhi offices. Your state’s final list will be notified by the Coordination Committee at your State Capital and uploaded on the India Post website.
Q. When is Diwali in 2027? Friday, 29 October 2027. Some states may observe it on Naraka Chaturdasi, 28 October 2027.
Q. Independence Day falls on a Sunday in 2027. Will I get another holiday? No. No substitute holiday is allowed when a festival holiday falls on a weekly off.
Q. How many Restricted Holidays can I take? Any two from the RH list.
Q. Can holiday dates change later? Only for Idu’l Fitr, Idu’l Zuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad, depending on moon sighting. All other festivals and dates are fixed.
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Final Word
Save this holiday list. Print it and stick it on your office notice board. Once the Coordination Committee in your State Capital notifies the 3 variable holidays, your circle’s final 2027 holiday list will appear on the India Post website.
Share it with your colleagues so everyone can plan their leave early.