On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, 5 consecutive days holiday has been declared in various states of India. This good news is not only for students but also for government employees and bank employees. The main reason for this extended holiday is the coming together of festivals like Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal. Also, this period also includes weekends, due to which the duration of holidays has increased further.
These holidays are given for different reasons in different parts of India. While Lohri and Makar Sankranti are celebrated in North India, the festival of Pongal is celebrated with great pomp in South India. Apart from this, in some states a holiday has also been kept on the birthday of Hazrat Ali. In this article, we will give detailed information about these holidays and will also tell how long the holidays will last in which state.
Holiday Update: Overview of 5 days holiday
| Description | Information |
| leave period | 5 days |
| start date | 11 January 2025 |
| deadline | 15 January 2025 |
| main festivals | Makar Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal |
| beneficiary | Students, Government Employees, Bank Employees |
| State | Many states of North and South India |
| types of holiday | public holiday |
| Additional benefits | extended holiday combined with weekend |
Day-wise Schedule of Holidays
The day-wise schedule of this 5-day holiday is as follows:
- January 11, 2025 (Saturday): Being the second Saturday, banks and many government offices will remain closed.
- 12 January 2025 (Sunday): Weekly holiday
- 13 January 2025 (Monday): Lohri (in North India)
- 14 January 2025 (Tuesday): Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Hazrat Ali’s birthday
- 15 January 2025 (Wednesday): Thiruvalluvar Day (in Tamil Nadu)
Holiday Schedule in North India
The schedule of holidays in the states of North India is as follows:
- Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh: In these states, there will be holiday on Lohri on 13 January and Makar Sankranti on 14 January.
- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar: There will be a public holiday on Makar Sankranti on 14 January.
- Rajasthan: There will be holiday on Lohri on 13th January and Makar Sankranti on 14th January.
Holiday Schedule in South India
The schedule of holidays in the states of South India is as follows:
- Tamil Nadu: There will be a holiday on Pongal on 14 January, Thiruvalluvar Day on 15 January and Uzhavar Thirunal on 16 January.
- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana: There will be holiday on 14th January on Makar Sankranti and on 15th January on Kanuma.
- Karnataka: There will be a holiday on Makar Sankranti on 14th January.
Holidays in School and College
This is a good opportunity for school and college students to enjoy extended holidays. Schools and colleges in most states will remain closed for these 5 days. In some states, even more days of leave have been given:
- Telangana: There will be holiday in schools from 13 to 17 January.
- Tamil Nadu: Schools and colleges will remain closed from 14 to 19 January.
Students are advised to get correct information about holidays from their school or college.
bank holiday schedule
This is also a good opportunity for bank employees to enjoy a long holiday. According to the holiday list released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there will be a total of 13 days of holidays in banks in January 2025. These 5 days of leave will be continuous:
- January 11: Second Saturday
- January 12: Sunday
- 13 January: Lohri in some states
- 14 January: Makar Sankranti/Pongal
- January 15: Additional holiday in some states
holiday in government offices
There will be holiday in government offices also during this period. However, offices related to essential services will remain open. Government employees have been allowed to take additional leave in some states:
- Additional holiday has been given in Tamil Nadu on 17th January.
- Additional leave can be taken on January 13 in Telangana.
Importance and celebration of festivals
The festivals celebrated during this 5 day holiday have special significance:
makar sankranti
- Symbol of Sun’s Uttarayan
- agricultural festival
- Special importance of kite flying
- Dishes are made from sesame and jaggery
Lohri
- Celebrated especially in Punjab
- harvest festival
- celebrated by lighting bonfires
- Distribution of peanuts and rewari
Pongal
- Major festivals of Tamil Nadu
- celebrated for four days
- Special dishes are made from new rice
- festival of thanksgiving to sun god
economic impact of holidays
These long holidays also have an impact on economic activities:
- Tourism Industry: People travel during holidays, which boosts the tourism industry.
- Retail trade: Shopping increases during festivals, which benefits traders.
- Sweets and Gifts Industry: The demand for sweets and gifts increases during these festivals.
Precautions during holidays
It is important to take some precautions during long holidays:
- Vigilance during travel: Due to high crowd, take special caution during travel.
- Banking Transactions: Due to banks being closed, do necessary transactions in advance.
- Emergency services: Have emergency services numbers handy.
make good use of holidays
Some tips to make good use of these 5 days holidays:
- spend time with family
- Complete long postponed tasks
- Focus on your hobby
- Focus on health, do yoga or exercise
- Start learning a new skill
conclusion
This 5 day continuous holiday provides a good opportunity to the people to spend time with their family and friends. Also, it is a good opportunity to understand and celebrate different cultures and traditions. However, while enjoying these holidays, safety and health precautions should also be kept in mind. It is a refreshing break for government employees, bank employees and students, which they can use for their personal and professional development.
Disclaimer
This information has been collected from various sources and is provided for general information purposes. The dates and rules of holidays may vary from state to state and institution to institution. Therefore, readers are advised to confirm official announcements from their state or institution. The author or publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions.
