Janmashtami 2025 School Holiday: Schools and Colleges to Remain Closed on August 16 in These States

Janmashtami 2025 School Holiday: Krishna Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, will be celebrated on Saturday, 16 August 2025. The festival holds deep religious and cultural importance across India, with Mathura and Vrindavan being among the most significant centres of celebration. Devotees observe the day with prayers, fasting, devotional songs, dance, and dramatic performances depicting episodes from Krishna’s life.

While the occasion is observed nationwide, the declaration of a public holiday for Janmashtami is not uniform. In India, the decision to announce a holiday rests with individual states rather than the Central Government, leading to differences in holiday schedules across the country.

States where schools and colleges will remain closed

Several states have declared 16 August 2025 as an official holiday for Janmashtami. In these regions, schools, colleges, government offices, and in some cases, banks will remain closed. These states include:

• Gujarat (Ahmedabad)
• Odisha (Bhubaneswar)
• Tamil Nadu (Chennai)
• Uttarakhand (Dehradun)
• Sikkim (Gangtok)
• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad)
• Rajasthan (Jaipur)
• Uttar Pradesh (Kanpur and Lucknow)
• West Bengal (Kolkata)
• Bihar (Patna)
• Chhattisgarh (Raipur)
• Jharkhand (Ranchi)
• Meghalaya (Shillong)
• Himachal Pradesh (Shimla)

In these states, the holiday allows students and families to take part in cultural activities such as devotional music, plays on Krishna’s childhood, and traditional dance performances. Schools often host events before the holiday to familiarise students with the festival’s history and significance.

States where schools and colleges will remain open

In other parts of the country, Janmashtami is not an official public holiday. Cities where regular working schedules will be maintained include:

• Agartala (Tripura)
• Aizawl (Mizoram)
• Belapur (Maharashtra)
• Belagavi and Bengaluru (Karnataka)
• Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
• Guwahati (Assam)
• Imphal (Manipur)
• Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)
• Kohima (Nagaland)
• Mumbai and Nagpur (Maharashtra)
• New Delhi (NCT)
• Panaji (Goa)

In these areas, while Janmashtami is culturally observed, the absence of an official holiday means that schools, offices, and businesses will function as usual. Some institutions may organise smaller scale programmes or give students permission to attend community celebrations without formally closing.

The difference in holiday observance often creates confusion among students, parents, and professionals. Since there is no centralised notification for Janmashtami leave, it is advised to confirm directly with schools, colleges, or workplaces in advance.