This Bihar Calendar February 2026 guide breaks down every general holiday, bank holiday, and school holiday for the month, corrects the Mahashivratri date confusion that trips up a lot of last-minute searches, and tells you exactly how many extra days off you’re actually getting this month.
Whether you searched for the Bihar Sarkar Calendar February 2026, you’re a state government employee planning leave, a bank customer trying to time a branch visit, a parent checking your child’s school calendar, or someone curious about Mahashivratri or Shab-e-Barat this year, everything below has been checked against the Bihar Education Department’s official 2026 holiday circular and the standard bank-holiday pattern that Reserve Bank of India offices in Patna follow.
Bihar Calendar February 2026 at a Glance
| Date | Day | Occasion | Holiday Type | Who Gets It Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1, 2026 | Sunday | Sant Ravidas Jayanti | General (state) holiday — coincides with the weekly Sunday off | Everyone (already off for Sunday) |
| February 4, 2026 | Wednesday | Shab-e-Barat | General (state) holiday | Government offices, banks, schools |
| February 14, 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday | Bank holiday | Bank customers |
| February 15, 2026 | Sunday | Mahashivratri | General (state) holiday — coincides with the weekly Sunday off | Everyone (already off for Sunday) |
| February 28, 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Bank holiday | Bank customers |
Here’s the detail worth flagging before anything else: out of the three festival dates on Bihar’s official list this month, only Shab-e-Barat on Wednesday, February 4 actually adds a fresh day off to your calendar. Sant Ravidas Jayanti (February 1) and Mahashivratri (February 15) both land on Sundays in 2026, so they don’t create any additional leave beyond the weekly holiday you’d get anyway. That also means, unlike January’s stretch of consecutive off-days around Republic Day, February 2026 has no long weekend for Bihar government offices or banks.
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Bihar’s Weather in February 2026
February marks the hinge between Bihar’s winter and its short spring. Early mornings still carry a chill, typically 10–14°C, though the heavy fog that slows down trains and flights in January largely lifts by now, so travel disruptions are far less likely. Afternoons warm up nicely, generally reaching 24–27°C, and by the last week of the month the mercury climbs a little further as summer starts to announce itself. It’s a comfortable month for sightseeing, outdoor errands, or visiting temples for Mahashivratri — pack a light jacket for the morning and evening, but daytime plans need little extra preparation.
Sant Ravidas Jayanti 2026 in Bihar — February 1 (Sunday)
Sant Ravidas Jayanti, also written as Guru Ravidas Jayanti, marks the birth anniversary of the 15th-century saint-poet Ravidas, a central figure of the Bhakti movement known for his teachings on equality and devotion. It’s traditionally observed on Magha Purnima, the full moon day of the Magha month, which lands on February 1 in 2026. Bihar’s Education Department lists it as a general holiday for schools and government offices, but because it falls on a Sunday this year, it doesn’t translate into any additional day away from work or school — the closure was already built into the week.
Shab-e-Barat 2026 in Bihar — February 4 (Wednesday)
Shab-e-Barat, observed on the 15th night of the Islamic month of Sha’ban, is regarded by many Muslims as a night of forgiveness and reflection, marked with prayers, visits to family graves, and the sharing of sweets like halwa. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday, February 4, and is listed as a general holiday on Bihar’s official calendar — meaning government offices, banks, and schools across the state are expected to stay shut. As with any Islamic date tied to the lunar calendar, the exact day can shift slightly depending on local moon sighting, so a one-day variation is always possible.
Mahashivratri 2026 in Bihar — February 15 (Sunday)
Mahashivratri, one of the most significant nights in the Hindu calendar, honours Lord Shiva and is observed on the Chaturdashi Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the Phalguna month. For 2026, the Tithi begins on the night of February 15 and continues into the early hours of February 16, but the main night-long worship, fasting, and temple visits are concentrated on Sunday, February 15 — which is also the date Bihar’s Education Department has listed on its official calendar. Devotees who fast typically break it (paran) on the morning of the 16th, after sunrise. Because the main observance falls on a Sunday this year, it doesn’t add a separate day off to Bihar’s working calendar, though temples across Patna, Gaya, Deoghar-bound pilgrims, and towns across the state will still see heavy footfall.
Bihar’s Holiday System, Explained
A lot of the confusion around Bihar’s calendar comes from mixing up three different categories that work in very different ways:
National gazetted holidays — fixed by the Government of India and observed the same way in every state. Only three fall in the whole year: Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi Jayanti. None of them land in February.
General (state) holidays — declared by the Government of Bihar and compulsory for all state government offices, and typically for banks and schools as well. All three of February’s occasions — Sant Ravidas Jayanti, Shab-e-Barat, and Mahashivratri — sit in this category.
Restricted (optional) holidays — a separate list of roughly 20+ dates through the year from which employees choose a limited number, usually with departmental approval. There are no restricted holidays on Bihar’s list for February 2026, so this month is entirely made up of compulsory general holidays with nothing to opt into.
If your office or department gives you conflicting information about a specific date, it’s always worth checking directly with your establishment section, since interpretation can occasionally vary by department even when the state list is the same.
Bihar Bank Holidays — February 2026
Bank closures follow a separate framework from the general state calendar: the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, along with the RBI’s standing rule that every bank shuts on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, in addition to all Sundays. Here’s how February 2026 lines up in Bihar:
| Date | Day | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| February 1, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday (coincides with Sant Ravidas Jayanti) |
| February 4, 2026 | Wednesday | Shab-e-Barat |
| February 8, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| February 14, 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| February 15, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday (coincides with Mahashivratri) |
| February 22, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| February 28, 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Sundays | 4 |
| Second & fourth Saturdays | 2 |
| General state holiday (extra day, Shab-e-Barat) | 1 |
| Total non-working days | 7 |
Seven non-working days in total, but only one of them — February 4 — sits outside the regular weekend pattern. Branches stay shut on all of these dates, though ATMs, UPI, mobile banking, and net banking continue running normally; cheque clearing is usually what slows down around a closure. If you have a specific branch visit planned, a quick call ahead is still worth it, since individual branches occasionally add local closures the general list doesn’t capture.
Bihar School Holidays — February 2026
Bihar’s Education Department calendar for the year marks the same three dates for government and government-aided schools (including Sanskrit, Urdu, and Madrasa institutions) in February:
| Date | Day | Occasion |
|---|---|---|
| February 1, 2026 | Sunday | Sant Ravidas Jayanti (coincides with the weekly off) |
| February 4, 2026 | Wednesday | Shab-e-Barat |
| February 15, 2026 | Sunday | Mahashivratri (coincides with the weekly off) |
In practice, this means schools get just one genuinely extra day off this month — Wednesday, February 4 — since the other two occasions don’t add anything beyond the Sunday closure students already have. Private and CBSE-affiliated schools in Bihar generally mirror this pattern but set their own specific calendars, so it’s worth checking your child’s school notice board or app, especially with exams or assessments that can sometimes override a listed holiday.
Gazetted vs. General vs. Restricted vs. Bank Holiday: What’s the Difference?
| Aspect | National Gazetted | State General Holiday | Restricted (Optional) | Bank Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Government of India | Government of Bihar | State list; employee opts in | RBI, under the Negotiable Instruments Act |
| Applies to | All offices, banks, schools nationwide | All Bihar government offices, banks, schools | Only employees who choose it | Banks only |
| Do you need to apply | No — automatic | No — automatic | Yes — select and get approval | No — automatic |
| February 2026 example | None this month | Sant Ravidas Jayanti, Shab-e-Barat, Mahashivratri | None this month | Same 3 dates, plus Sundays and Feb 14 & 28 |
Knowing which column a date falls into is the difference between correctly expecting an office to be closed and being caught out either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How many holidays does Bihar get in February 2026? Three occasions appear on the state’s general holiday list — Sant Ravidas Jayanti (Feb 1), Shab-e-Barat (Feb 4), and Mahashivratri (Feb 15) — but since two of them fall on a Sunday, only Shab-e-Barat results in a fresh day off from work or school.
Q2: Is Mahashivratri 2026 on February 15 or February 16 in Bihar? The Chaturdashi Tithi runs from the night of February 15 into the early morning of February 16, but the main worship, fasting, and temple visits are observed on Sunday, February 15 — which is also the date on Bihar’s official school and government holiday calendar.
Q3: Is Shab-e-Barat a bank holiday in Bihar? Yes. Shab-e-Barat appears on Bihar’s official general holiday list for February 4, 2026 (a Wednesday), and banks in the state are expected to remain closed that day along with government offices and schools.
Q4: Why doesn’t Sant Ravidas Jayanti give Bihar government employees an extra day off in 2026? Because February 1, 2026 falls on a Sunday, which is already a standing weekly holiday. The occasion is still marked on the official calendar, but it doesn’t add any additional leave beyond the Sunday closure.
Q5: How many bank holidays are there in Bihar in February 2026? Seven in total: four Sundays (1, 8, 15, 22), the second and fourth Saturdays (14 and 28), and Shab-e-Barat (4), which is the only one of these that isn’t a Saturday or Sunday.
Q6: Are there any restricted or optional holidays in Bihar in February 2026? No. All three occasions on this month’s calendar — Sant Ravidas Jayanti, Shab-e-Barat, and Mahashivratri — are general (compulsory) holidays. Bihar’s restricted holiday list has no entries falling in February this year.
Conclusion
February keeps things simple on the Bihar Sarkar calendar — three occasions, but only one that actually changes your weekly routine. Between Sant Ravidas Jayanti and Mahashivratri both landing on a Sunday, and Shab-e-Barat giving government offices, banks, and schools their one real midweek break, it’s a good month to plan ahead rather than assume.