Viswakarma Puja Holiday: The West Bengal government has revised the Viswakarma Puja holiday date. Instead of 17 September as earlier announced, government offices will now remain closed on 18 September 2026 (Friday).
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Why the Date Changed
The Finance Department (Audit Branch) at Nabanna had earlier declared, through Notification No. 4188-F(P2) dated 27 November 2025, that 17 September 2026 (Thursday) would be the Viswakarma Puja holiday. It later emerged that this year Viswakarma Puja actually falls on 18 September, a Friday.
To correct this, the department issued a fresh Notification No. 3446-F(P2) dated 14 September 2026. With the Governor’s approval, the state holiday now officially stands shifted to 18 September, Friday. The order carries the signature of Additional Chief Secretary P.K. Mishra.
Who Does This Apply To?
According to the source notification, the revised holiday covers all categories of state-controlled institutions, not just secretariat staff.
- All state government departments and offices
- Local bodies
- Statutory bodies, boards and corporations
- State-owned or state-controlled undertakings
- Educational institutions
Impact: What Changes for You
Employees who had already arranged personal leave around 17 September based on the earlier notification will need to rework their plans. Offices will function as usual on 17 September, since that day is no longer a declared holiday. Anyone who had clubbed casual leave or earned leave around that date should recheck their leave balance with their DDO.
Weekly Calendar at a Glance
| Date | Day | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 16 September | Wednesday | Working day |
| 17 September | Thursday | Working day (holiday earlier declared, now withdrawn) |
| 18 September | Friday | Viswakarma Puja holiday (revised) |
| 19 September | Saturday | Depends on department’s own Saturday roster |
| 20 September | Sunday | Weekly off |
Whether Saturday, 19 September, is a working day depends on which numbered Saturday it falls under for a given office, information the notification itself does not specify. It’s worth checking your department’s own holiday list separately.
Distribution of the Order
Copies of this notification have gone to the Principal Accountant General, District Magistrates across all districts, Treasury Officers and Pay & Accounts Officers, among other administrative authorities. Joint Secretary Prasenjit Sengupta forwarded the copies, with instructions to upload the notification on the Finance Department website.
