Holidays in January 2021

Holidays are a happy occasion to be spent with friends, family, or just on your own with the best memories created by traveling to new places. With India being a large and culturally diverse country, there is no dearth of places to visit on a holiday. Knowing the list of public holidays can help you plan your vacation better and in advance. January is a month that has several public holidays as well as a very important national holiday, the Republic Day. Apart from this, each state may have its own share of regional holidays.

List of Holidays in January 2021

Listed below are the public holidays celebrated in January 2021:

List of Monthly Holidays 2021

Bank Holidays in January 2021

Banks in India remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. Apart from this, banks are also closed on national holidays, public holidays, and regional holidays (which differ from state to state). Knowing bank holidays in advance will help to plan your visits to your bank in advance.

Given below are the dates for bank holidays in 2021:

Note: Check the government gazette to authenticate the dates

List of Trading Holidays 2021

Description of Holidays in January 2021

• New Year’s Day: New Year’s Day is observed on the first day of the month of January. The celebrations as part of the holiday differ according to one’s culture.
• Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti: The holiday commemorates the birthday of the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh. On the occasion, prayers for prosperity are offered in the gurudwaras and large processions are taken out on the roads. As part of the festival, special dishes are prepared and served.
• Mannam Jayanthi: The day is celebrated in honour of Mannathu Padmanabha Pillai. Born on 2 January 1878, Pillai is recognised as the founder of Nair Service Society.
• Missionary Day: Missionary Day commemorates the arrival of two Welsh Christian missionaries in the state. On the occasion, prayers are held in churches and community feasts are organised.
• Bhogi: Bhogi is the first day of the four-day Makar Sankranti festival. On the day, a bonfire is lit at dawn with logs of wood, and other wooden things that are not useful.
• Pongal: A harvest festival, Pongal marks the beginning of Uttarayan, sun’s journey northwards. As part of the festival, Kolam is drawn in addition to swinging and cooking of delicious Pongal.
• Makar Sankranti: Makar Sankranti marks the first day of sun’s transit into Capricorn. The festival is observed with social festivities like colourful decorations, kite flying, bonfires, feasts, and dances.
• Bhogali Bihu: Bhogali Bihu marks the end of the harvesting season. The festival is marked by feasts and bonfires. Traditional Assamese games are held in rural places as part of the celebrations.
• Tusu Puja: Tusu Puja is celebrated at the time of harvest by the tea tribes. As part of the festival, folk goddess Tusu is worshipped. Tusu Puja is also known as ‘Til Sankranti’ in some places as ‘til’ (black sesame seed) is considered significant during the puja.
• Thiruvalluvar Day: Thiruvalluvar Day is celebrated in honour of celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. The day is celebrated at the end of the three-day festival of Pongal.
• Uzhavar Tirunal: Uzhavar Tirunal, a farmer’s festival is celebrated when the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn. The festival is celebrated with lots of joy and gaiety. As part of the festival, women sing and dance to music that is specific to the festival.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Birthday: The day is celebrated in honour of Subhas Chandra Bose. A prominent freedom fighter, Bose fondly called ‘Netaji’ was instrumental in establishing the Indian National Army (INA). On his birthday, his role in the country’s freedom struggle is remembered.
• Sonam Lhochar: The festival is celebrated by the Tamang community and it marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year. As part of the festival, men and women adorn traditional attires, dance to the rhythmic beats of ‘damphu’ and enjoy exotic Tamang cuisine.
• Himachal Statehood Day: The day is celebrated to mark Himachal Pradesh becoming the 18th state of the country on 25 January 1971.
• Vasant Panchami: A Hindu festival, Vasant Panchami highlights the incoming of spring. The festival is centred on the Hindu goddess Sarasvati. As part of the festival, people dress in yellow and feast on ‘kesar halwa’ which is made of flour, sugar, nuts, and cardamom powder. Students place their books, pens, and pencils near the feet of the goddess and seek her blessings.
• Me-dam-me-phi: An auspicious festival, Me-dam-me-phi is celebrated by the Ahom people to show respect to the departed ancestors. The festival helps in creating unity, developing the feeling of brotherhood and mutual understanding among each other.

Given that we have provided you the list of holidays for January 2021, you can start planning a vacation with your near and dear ones straight away.

Being the first month of the calendar year, January has many holidays. The month has one national holiday called ‘Republic Day’, which is celebrated on 26 January every year. The entire country celebrates this national holiday. Regional holidays in January 2021 vary based on the customs and traditions of different states. As a result, festival holidays tend to differ from one state to another. Let’s understand more about the month of January.

Destinations to visit during the holidays in January 2021

• Zanskar, Jammu and Kashmir: The thrill of taking a walk on the snow makes Zanskar one of the best tourist destination to visit this January. The places you can visit in Zanskar are Panikhar, Patnitop, Drang Drung glacier, etc.
• Auli, Uttarakhand: Auli is a famous skiing place in India. The natural landscape covered in snow makes it a beautiful spot to visit in January. Capturing the 180-degree sight of Nanda Devi range is thrilling.
• Delhi: The charm of the city of Delhi and the special celebration of Republic Day lure many tourists in January. Since Republic Day falls on Saturday this year, you can plan a trip to Delhi to spend a day or two.
• Jaipur: It is ideal to visit Jaipur, Rajasthan, popularly known as the pink city of India, during the months of November and February as the temperatures are much lower. During the summer, Jaipur experiences scorching heat. January is a good time to visit Jaipur to enjoy its breathtaking heritage sites.
• Kutch: Kutch, Gujarat, is another charming tourist place to visit during January 2021 India holidays. Tourists can attend Rann Utsav and relax on its surreal beaches.

Holiday Destinations In India