The West Bengal government has declared Tuesday, 22 September 2026, a full-day public holiday for Karam Puja, closing state government offices and extending the holiday to municipalities, panchayats, public bodies and government-aided institutions across the state.
The Finance Department issued the notification on Wednesday, 16 September. According to the notice reported by Anandabazar, the holiday will apply to all state government departments as well as statutory bodies, boards and corporations under government control. Municipalities, the three-tier panchayat system and various government-sponsored organisations and educational institutions are also included.
The notification also extends the holiday to workers from tribal communities employed in tea gardens. The decision therefore covers not only the formal state administration but also a wider network of local-government and publicly supported institutions that manage civic services and public-facing operations across West Bengal.
Karam Puja is observed mainly in the Manbhum region and in parts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur districts. The festival is also celebrated in some areas of North Bengal. It is held on Shukla Ekadashi in the month of Bhadra according to the traditional calendar, and ceremonies commonly begin with the planting of a branch of the karam tree in the ground. Fairs are also held in some places during the festival.
The festival is regarded as a major occasion for tribal communities in the state. While Karam Puja is not widely visible in Kolkata and other large urban centres, it is observed across substantial parts of West Bengal, particularly in districts where tribal communities form an important part of local social and cultural life. The government notification brings these regional observances into the official holiday calendar for the state’s administrative and publicly supported institutions.
West Bengal first announced a full-day holiday for Karam Puja in 2023. The holiday was also declared the following year. The latest notification continues that arrangement and identifies the categories of offices, institutions and workers covered in 2026.
Government offices, local bodies and the listed public institutions will remain closed on 22 September. The Finance Department notification is the operative document for the holiday and specifies the institutions and employees covered by the decision.
