Karnataka Festivals and Holidays in April 2026
Here’s our Karnataka festivals and holidays in April 2026 guide—your quick calendar with dates & tithi. April is the heart of the Chaitra to Vaishakha season, when Karnataka moves into the New Year / harvest festival mood—with major celebrations like Rama Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, and the big regional highlight Yugadi / Ugadi season follow-ups. It’s also when many temple towns start their summer rathotsava schedules and village fairs. Use this Karnataka holiday list (April 2026) to plan darshan timings, travel, and crowd-friendly windows—always recheck local temple notices for last-minute changes. We’ll refresh this page once the official DPAR Karnataka Holiday List 2026 is notified/updated.
Government, Local & Restricted Holidays — April 2026 (Karnataka)
Subject to Government of Karnataka (DPAR) 2026 notification. Some observances vary by institution—please recheck your office/temple notice.
🏛️ Public Holidays (State)
- 01-April-2026 (Wednesday) Annual Closing of Accounts (Banks) Banks Only Bank holiday for annual closing; schools/offices follow their own calendar.
- 03-April-2026 (Friday) Good Friday State General Holiday; church services & quiet observance.
- 14-April-2026 (Tuesday) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti State General Holiday; commemorative events statewide.
- 20-April-2026 (Monday) Basava Jayanti / Akshaya Tritiya Tithi may span 19–20 State General Holiday; Basava celebrations + Vaishakha auspicious day rituals.
📍 Local Holiday (District-specific)
- — No statewide local holiday notified yet DC offices may announce event-based closures (temple jatres/fairs). District Notice
🗓️ Restricted / Optional (check your office list)
- 02-April-2026 (Thursday) Hanuman Jayanti (Chaitra Purnima) Observance Special pujas at Hanuman temples; office treatment varies.
- 04-April-2026 (Saturday) Holy Saturday Restricted Appears in many restricted holiday lists; practice varies.
- 05-April-2026 (Sunday) Easter Sunday Observance Not usually a separate weekday holiday; church services across Karnataka.
- 21-April-2026 (Tuesday) Sri Shankaracharya Jayanti Restricted Optional/restricted in select institution calendars.
- 22-April-2026 (Wednesday) Sri Ramanujacharya Jayanti Restricted Optional/restricted in select institution calendars.
Important Festivals in April 2026 – Karnataka
Some dates are tithi-based. Cross-check local temple/office notices (especially community festivals); we’ll refresh if official updates come in.
Panguni Uthiram Observance
Special poojas and community events observed by Tamil traditions in select temples.
Bengaluru & select temples; community-wise observance.Hanuman Jayanti Observance
Special Hanuman puja, chanting, and temple crowds—especially mornings and evenings.
Statewide—Hanuman temples in Bengaluru, Mysuru, coastal & Malenadu.Good Friday Public Holiday
Church services and quiet observance across Karnataka.
Statewide—major churches in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru, etc.Easter Sunday Observance
Easter mass and community gatherings (typically a Sunday observance).
Churches statewide.Varuthini Ekadashi Observance
Vaishnava fasting day; Vishnu puja and parana next morning as per family tradition.
Vishnu/ISKCON temples & Vaishnava homes statewide.Mesha Sankranti / Solar New Year Observance
Solar month shift; auspicious temple visits and regional new-year observances for some communities.
Statewide (community-wise); temple towns & mathas.Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti Public Holiday
Commemorative events, processions and public programmes.
Statewide—district HQs & major city venues.Vishu Observance
Malayali community new-year observance; temple visits and traditional rituals.
Bengaluru, Mangaluru & areas with Kerala community presence.Akshaya Tritiya Observance
One of the most auspicious days for puja, daana, and new beginnings (often popular for gold purchase).
Statewide—temples, homes & community rituals.Basava Jayanti Public Holiday
Celebrations and special programmes at Basava-related kshetras; in some holiday lists, paired with Akshaya Tritiya.
Statewide—Basava temples & Lingayat community centres.Adi Shankaracharya Jayanti Restricted
Special poojas, discourses and recitations in Advaita tradition centres.
Select maths/temples; institution-wise holiday rules vary.Sri Ramanujacharya Jayanti Restricted
Sri Vaishnava celebrations, special temple worship and community events.
Select Vishnu temples & Vaishnava communities.Mohini Ekadashi Observance
Important Ekadashi vrat; Vishnu puja with parana next morning as per tradition.
Vishnu/ISKCON temples & Vaishnava homes statewide.Additional Village Festivals / Local Jatres
April sits in the Chaitra–Vaishakha window—one of the most active seasons for Karnataka’s grāmadevate jatres, summer rathotsava schedules, and village fairs. With rising heat, many temples shift major rituals to early mornings and evenings, and the “festival street” atmosphere (stalls, folk drums, cultural stages, annadāna) becomes common across Malenadu, coastal and North Karnataka regions.
Key April crowd waves usually form around Hanuman Jayanti, Mesha Sankranti (solar month change), and the highly auspicious Akshaya Tritiya period. In many towns, you’ll also notice special Basava Jayanti programmes—especially in Basava-linked centres and Lingayat community hubs. If you’re planning a temple circuit, keep buffer time for parking and darshan lines on weekends and on the day before/after big tithi festivals.
Practical tips for April jatres: confirm temple/DC notices 24–48 hours before travel, start early to avoid midday heat, carry water + UPI + some cash for fair stalls, and keep a light shawl for evening darshan queues. If a local fair is “district holiday” based, the final decision usually comes from the DC/temple committee—so double-check the latest notice.
Disclaimer
Dates, tithi, muhurta and holiday status may vary by temple panchang and DPAR notices. Please confirm with local temple/district office and your institution calendar before planning.