This Bihar Calendar November 2026 guide lists every general, public, and restricted holiday for the month, walks through the full panchang breakdown behind Chhath Puja and Diwali week, and clears up which festivals in this packed month are actually official state holidays and which — despite being widely celebrated — aren’t.
Whether you searched for the Bihar Sarkar Calendar November 2026 to plan around Chhath Puja’s exact dates, you want the complete Diwali week schedule, you’re checking if Bhai Dooj is a bank holiday, or you simply need an accurate non-working day count for the month, this guide has been checked against Bihar’s 2026 state holiday notification, its restricted holiday list, current panchang calculations, and the standard RBI closure pattern for banks in the state.
Bihar Calendar November 2026 at a Glance
| Date | Day | Occasion | Holiday Type | Who Gets It Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2026 | Sunday | Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) | Public holiday — coincides with the weekly Sunday off | Everyone (already off for Sunday) |
| November 10, 2026 | Tuesday | Bhai Dooj / Chitragupta Puja | General holiday | Government offices, schools |
| November 14, 2026 | Saturday | Chhath Puja (Kharna) & Second Saturday | Restricted holiday + bank holiday | Bank customers; employees who choose Kharna |
| November 15, 2026 | Sunday | Chhath Puja (Sandhya Arghya) | Public holiday — coincides with the weekly Sunday off | Everyone (already off for Sunday) |
| November 16, 2026 | Monday | Chhath Puja (Usha Arghya) | Public holiday | Government offices, banks, schools |
| November 24, 2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti | Public holiday | Government offices, banks, schools |
| November 28, 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday | Bank holiday | Bank customers |
Chhath Puja anchors this month more than any single date does — it’s less a “holiday” and more a four-day rhythm the entire state moves around.
Panchang Breakdown: Chhath Puja’s Four Days
This is the section worth reading closely if you’re planning anything around Chhath. Bihar’s most important festival isn’t a single date — it’s a carefully sequenced four-day observance, and only part of it shows up as an official closure:
| Day | Date | Ritual | Official Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 13, 2026 (Friday) | Nahay-Khay — a ritual bath followed by a simple meal, marking the start of purification | Not an official holiday |
| 2 | November 14, 2026 (Saturday) | Kharna — a day-long fast broken at sunset with kheer and roti, offered first to the deity | Restricted (optional) holiday |
| 3 | November 15, 2026 (Sunday) | Sandhya Arghya — the main evening offering to the setting sun, performed standing in water at river ghats and ponds | Public holiday (coincides with Sunday) |
| 4 | November 16, 2026 (Monday) | Usha Arghya — the closing offering to the rising sun, breaking the 36-hour nirjala fast | Public holiday |
Chhath Puja honours Surya, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya, and is observed with a rigor few other festivals match — a 36-hour fast without food or water, performed standing in rivers or ponds at both dusk and dawn. It’s especially significant in Bihar, though it’s celebrated with equal devotion by Bihari communities across India and the world. Ghats along the Ganga in Patna, including Gandhi Ghat and Collectorate Ghat, along with countless smaller ponds and rivers across every district, see enormous gatherings on the evening of November 15 and the morning of November 16. Given the scale of these gatherings, sticking to the specific ghats designated and prepared by local administration — rather than unfamiliar riverbanks or unmonitored ponds — is genuinely important advice every year, not just a formality; local authorities typically publish a list of approved ghats in the days beforehand.
Only the final two days carry official holiday status, and Sandhya Arghya’s overlap with Sunday this year means Usha Arghya on November 16 is the one genuinely extra day off the festival adds to the calendar.
Bihar Calendar November 2026 Grid
Bihar’s Weather in November 2026
November is one of Bihar’s most comfortable months, and it happens to align well with the outdoor demands of Chhath Puja. Mornings turn genuinely cool, typically 12–16°C, with a light haze common near the Ganga in the early hours, while afternoons settle into a pleasant 24–28°C. It’s good weather for standing at the ghats during the early morning Usha Arghya, though a shawl or light jacket is worth carrying for the pre-dawn wait, and the cool water at that hour is a real factor for anyone performing the rituals. By month’s end, the first real chill of winter starts to set in, especially in the evenings.
Diwali Week 2026 in Bihar: The Full Picture
Diwali isn’t a single date, even though only one day of the cluster appears on Bihar’s official calendar. Here’s the complete sequence for 2026:
| Day | Date | Occasion | Official Bihar Holiday? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 6, 2026 (Friday) | Dhanteras | No |
| 2 | November 7, 2026 (Saturday) | Choti Diwali (Narak Chaturdashi) | No |
| 3 | November 8, 2026 (Sunday) | Diwali — Lakshmi Puja | Yes — coincides with Sunday |
| 4 | November 9, 2026 (Monday) | Govardhan Puja | No |
| 5 | November 10, 2026 (Tuesday) | Bhai Dooj / Chitragupta Puja | Yes — general holiday |
Diwali marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and is celebrated across Bihar with earthen diyas, rangoli, sweets, and fireworks, alongside Lakshmi Puja performed in the evening. Because November 8, 2026 falls on a Sunday, it’s the fourth time this year a major festival has coincided with the weekly holiday rather than adding a fresh one — a pattern this calendar has tracked since Sant Ravidas Jayanti back in February. Govardhan Puja, honouring Lord Krishna’s lifting of Govardhan Hill, is widely marked in Bihari households the day after Diwali, but — like Makar Sankranti in January and Haritalika Teej in September — it isn’t on Bihar’s official gazetted or restricted holiday list.
Bhai Dooj / Chitragupta Puja 2026 in Bihar — November 10 (Tuesday)
Bhai Dooj celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, with sisters applying tilak and praying for their brothers’ long life. In Bihar, the day carries a second, equally significant layer: Chitragupta Puja, dedicated to Chitragupta, the deity associated with record-keeping and destiny in Hindu tradition, observed with particular devotion by the Kayastha community through prayers centred on pen, ink, and account books. It’s a general holiday on Bihar’s calendar, closing government offices and schools, but — consistent with how general holidays have worked all year, from Samrat Ashok Ashtami in March to Kabir Jayanti in June — it doesn’t appear on the state’s bank holiday circular.
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 — November 24 (Tuesday)
This date marks the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, observed on Kartik Purnima with prayers, kirtan, and langar (community meals) at gurdwaras nationwide. Bihar carries a direct connection to Sikh history: Guru Nanak himself visited Patna during his travels, and the city is separately home to Takht Sri Patna Sahib, one of Sikhism’s five Takhts and the birthplace of the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh — making Patna a significant pilgrimage centre in its own right. It’s a public holiday, closing government offices, banks, and schools across the state.
Bihar’s Holiday Categories, Explained
November puts three tiers to work again, much like June and August did earlier in the year:
| Category | Decided By | Applies To | November 2026 Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| General holidays | Government of Bihar | Government offices and schools | Bhai Dooj / Chitragupta Puja (Nov 10) |
| Public / festival holidays | Government of Bihar | Government offices, banks, and schools | Diwali (Nov 8), Chhath Puja Sandhya & Usha Arghya (Nov 15–16), Guru Nanak Jayanti (Nov 24) |
| Restricted (optional) holidays | Employee’s own choice | Only employees who select the date | Chhath Puja Kharna (Nov 14) |
Bihar Bank Holidays — November 2026
Banks in Bihar follow the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, and the RBI’s standing second-and-fourth-Saturday rule. Here’s the complete picture for November 2026:
| Date | Day | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| November 8, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday (Diwali) |
| November 14, 2026 | Saturday | Second Saturday |
| November 15, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday (Chhath Puja Sandhya Arghya) |
| November 16, 2026 | Monday | Chhath Puja (Usha Arghya) |
| November 22, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| November 24, 2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
| November 28, 2026 | Saturday | Fourth Saturday |
| November 29, 2026 | Sunday | Weekly holiday |
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Sundays | 5 |
| Second & fourth Saturdays | 2 |
| Festival closures on extra weekdays (Chhath Usha Arghya, Guru Nanak Jayanti) | 2 |
| Total non-working days for banks | 9 |
Nine non-working days puts November in the same range as April, May, August, and October this year. Branches stay shut on all nine dates, though ATMs, UPI, and net banking continue running normally; cheque clearing typically sees the biggest slowdown around the Chhath stretch, when a large share of the state effectively pauses for a few days regardless of the official calendar.
Bihar School Holidays — November 2026
Bihar’s Education Department calendar marks the following dates for government and government-aided schools, including Sanskrit, Urdu, and Madrasa institutions:
| Date | Day | Occasion |
|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2026 | Sunday | Diwali |
| November 10, 2026 | Tuesday | Bhai Dooj / Chitragupta Puja |
| November 15, 2026 | Sunday | Chhath Puja (Sandhya Arghya) |
| November 16, 2026 | Monday | Chhath Puja (Usha Arghya) |
| November 24, 2026 | Tuesday | Guru Nanak Jayanti |
Many Bihar schools extend their break around Chhath Puja beyond just the 15th and 16th, often closing for the better part of the week to accommodate travel and preparation, so it’s worth checking your child’s specific school calendar rather than assuming a two-day closure. Private and CBSE-affiliated schools frequently follow a similar, sometimes longer, pattern.
Where Bank, Office, and School Calendars Diverge This Month
Banks land on nine non-working days this month: five Sundays, two standard Saturdays, Chhath’s Usha Arghya, and Guru Nanak Jayanti. Government offices and schools add Bhai Dooj on top of that same base, landing on ten. Secretariat and Directorate offices in Patna, which already treat every Saturday as a day off, end up with twelve non-working days once all four Saturdays in November are factored in alongside Bhai Dooj, Usha Arghya, and Guru Nanak Jayanti.
Looking Ahead: December Brings Bihar’s Own President
Early December carries a distinctly Bihari date worth knowing about in advance: Dr. Rajendra Prasad Jayanti on December 3, marking the birth anniversary of independent India’s first President, who was born in Zeradei, Siwan district. It’s a fitting bridge from November’s intensely local Chhath Puja into a December that closes the year with Christmas and one more reminder of Bihar’s outsized role in India’s political history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How many days is Chhath Puja in Bihar in 2026, and which are official holidays? Chhath Puja runs four days, November 13–16, 2026. Only Sandhya Arghya (Nov 15) and Usha Arghya (Nov 16) are compulsory public holidays; Kharna (Nov 14) is a restricted holiday, and Nahay-Khay (Nov 13) isn’t an official holiday at all.
Q2: Is Diwali a fresh day off in Bihar in 2026? No. Diwali falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026, which is already a standing weekly holiday, so it doesn’t add extra leave this year — the fourth time in 2026 a major festival has coincided with a Sunday.
Q3: Is Govardhan Puja an official holiday in Bihar? No. Despite being widely observed in homes the day after Diwali, Govardhan Puja doesn’t appear on Bihar’s official gazetted or restricted holiday list for 2026.
Q4: Is Bhai Dooj a bank holiday in Bihar? No. It’s a general holiday for Bihar’s government offices and schools, but it doesn’t appear on the state’s bank holiday circular, so bank branches are expected to remain open on November 10.
Q5: How many bank holidays are there in Bihar in November 2026? Nine in total: five Sundays (1, 8, 15, 22, 29), the second and fourth Saturdays (14 and 28), Chhath Puja’s Usha Arghya (16), and Guru Nanak Jayanti (24).
Q6: What is the difference between Kharna and Sandhya Arghya during Chhath Puja? Kharna is the second day of the festival, when a day-long fast is broken at sunset with kheer and roti — it’s a restricted, optional holiday. Sandhya Arghya is the third day’s main evening ritual, offering prayers to the setting sun at a river or pond, and is a full public holiday.
Q7: Does Guru Nanak Jayanti have any connection to Bihar specifically? Yes. Guru Nanak visited Patna during his travels, and the city separately houses Takht Sri Patna Sahib, one of Sikhism’s five Takhts and the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, making Bihar’s capital a significant site in Sikh history.
Conclusion
November 2026 is less about counting holidays and more about understanding Chhath Puja’s rhythm — a four-day festival where only two days are official closures, but where the whole state effectively slows down regardless of what the calendar says. Between Diwali’s quiet overlap with Sunday, Bhai Dooj’s bank-office split, and Chhath’s careful sequence of fasting and river worship, this is the month where Bihar’s calendar and Bihar’s culture are hardest to tell apart.