Valmiki Jayanti School Holiday 2026: The Yogi Adityanath-led government has declared a school holiday for Monday, October 26, on the occasion of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti. As Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti is being celebrated across the country on October 26, the state government has announced a holiday for schools.
This adds another day to the school holidays during the final week of October, a month already filled with festivals. Government and private schools will remain closed on Monday, October 26, 2026, for Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti. The Uttar Pradesh government’s holiday list for 2026 includes Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti on October 26. This date is also recorded as a public holiday in the Uttar Pradesh holiday calendar available on the national portal.
Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti is celebrated every year on the full moon day (Purnima) of the month of Ashvin. It was Maharshi Valmiki who authored the Ramayana. Special events are organized across the country to mark this day. Additionally, a tableau (jhanki) dedicated to Maharshi Valmiki is also taken out. In light of this, the Yogi Adityanath-led government of Uttar Pradesh has declared a public holiday for Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti, falling on October 26, 2025. The official order confirms that October 26 will be a public holiday in observance of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti.
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Holiday Announced Last Year
A new government holiday was added in Uttar Pradesh last year. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the public holiday for Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti while in Shravasti, and the General Administration Department of the Secretariat subsequently issued the formal order. The notice issued by the Secretariat Administration Department states that a public holiday has been declared for the occasion of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti.
The government has ordered that all government offices, educational institutions, and other state departments remain closed on this day. The Chief Minister had announced the reinstatement of this public holiday on September 27 of last year during his visit to Shravasti.
Following this, the government issued an order confirming the holiday across the entire state. On this day, temples will host recitations of the Ramayana and various religious events.
Ramayana Recitations to Resound in Temples on Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti"
On October 26, on the occasion of Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti, events such as Ramayana recitations, cultural programs, and *bhajan* (devotional song) sessions will be organised across all districts. The Department of Culture has instructed officials to ensure these programs are held in every district, with an allocation of one lakh rupees provided to each district for this purpose.
Amrit Abhijat, Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism, has issued directives to all Divisional Commissioners and District Magistrates (DMs) regarding this. A grand and special event will be organized by the district administration at Lalapur in Chitrakoot, the site where Maharshi Valmiki performed his tapasya (penance).
In each district, prominent Shri Ram temples, Hanuman temples, and other religious sites associated with the Ramayana have been selected to host devotional programs. At sites and temples linked to Maharshi Valmiki, ceremonial lamp-lighting (deep-prajwalan and deep-daan) will take place.
Artists and bhajan (devotional song) groups will conduct recitations of the Valmiki Ramayana, spanning durations of 8, 12, or 24 hours. To organise these events, special committees will be formed at the district, tehsil, and development block levels. The Department of Culture has also developed a dedicated digital portal where district administrations are required to upload details, such as addresses, photographs, and GPS locations of the selected temples.