Calcutta High Court Holiday List 2026: Vacations & District Courts
A clear, court-by-court calendar for 2026 covering the Calcutta High Court, City Civil Court, District Civil Courts and District Criminal Courts. Download the PDF, check vacation dates and plan filings and hearings with confidence.
West Bengal court holidays for 2026 at a glance
Knowing when a court is closed matters as much as knowing when it sits. A limitation period, a bail hearing or a compliance date can fall inside a vacation, and the rules differ between the Calcutta High Court, the City Civil Court in Kolkata, the District Civil Courts and the District Criminal Courts. This page brings those differences together in one comparative table for 2026, with downloadable PDFs of the detailed list. Always confirm final dates against the official Calcutta High Court website, because the notified list is the authority.
The calendar shows public holidays such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti, festival holidays, and the Summer, Annual and Christmas vacations. Moon-dependent holidays such as Id-Ul-Fitre, Id-Uz-Zoha, Muharram and Fateha-Duaz-Daham are announced later, so verify them when notified. If a deadline is close to a vacation and you are unsure how it applies, you may speak to a Calcutta High Court advocate before the date arrives. For how subordinate courts are organised, see our guide to district court branches.
The figures that matter
Which court's holiday schedule do you need?
Pick the court your matter is in to see how its 2026 holidays and vacations differ. This is general information, not legal advice, so please verify against the official notification.
Choose one of the options above.
The court year in West Bengal, 2026
Here are the main breaks in the year, in order, for the Calcutta High Court and the subordinate courts.
January has four holidays: New Year’s Day (Jan 1), Swami Vivekananda’s Birthday (Jan 12), Netaji’s Birthday with Saraswati Puja (Jan 23) and Republic Day (Jan 26). The 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month are fixed holidays for all courts.
Doljatra (Mar 3), Holi (Mar 4), Ram Navami (Mar 26), Good Friday (Apr 3), Easter Saturday (Apr 4), Ambedkar Birthday (Apr 14) and Bengali New Year (Apr 15) are observed by all four court tiers. Id-Ul-Fitre will be announced later, after the moon is sighted.
The High Court observes the full two weeks. The City Civil, District Civil and District Criminal Courts observe only May 25–30. For urgent matters, read our guide on the Calcutta High Court advocate consultation.
Independence Day (Aug 15) and Janmastami (Sep 4) are holidays for all courts. Muharram and Id-Uz-Zoha (Bakrid) are declared later, depending on the moon.
The High Court and the civil courts are closed for the whole stretch, including Diwali and Bhatridwitiya on Nov 9–11. District Criminal Courts are closed only from Oct 16 to 26. Read our guide to subordinate courts for how district courts are organised.
Jagaddhatri Puja (Nov 18), Guru Nanak’s Birthday (Nov 24) and Christmas Day (Dec 25) follow. Civil courts and the High Court observe the Christmas Vacation from Dec 26 to 31, while criminal courts generally do not.
Three things people miss about court holidays, tap a card
The High Court’s summer break is two weeks long, but subordinate courts observe only one. Criminal courts also return earlier in the Annual Vacation than civil courts.
Id-Ul-Fitre, Id-Uz-Zoha (Bakrid), Muharram and Fateha-Duaz-Daham depend on the moon. They are formally announced later for all court tiers, so recheck the notification.
District Judges and Chief Judges may declare up to two extra local holidays a year. Your own district court’s notice should be checked before you plan a hearing date.
Calcutta High Court vacation list 2026 and district court schedules
Summer vacation
The High Court observes a full two-week summer break from May 25 to June 6, 2026. The subordinate courts observe only the first week, May 25 to May 30. Plan urgent filings and mentioning accordingly.
Annual vacation
The High Court and the Civil Courts, City and District, observe a continuous annual vacation from October 16 to November 11, 2026, which includes the Diwali and Bhatridwitiya days. Check the vacation bench arrangements for urgent matters.
Different vacation pattern
District Criminal Courts break from October 16 to October 26 and then resume before the November 9 to 11 holidays. For Christmas, criminal courts generally observe only December 25, while civil courts stay closed until year end.
Barrackpore, Alipore, Howrah and others
District courts such as Barrackpore, Alipore and Howrah follow the standard West Bengal District Civil and Criminal Court schedule shown in the table. District and Chief Judges may declare up to two local holidays, so verify with the court.
Holiday rules to remember in 2026
- The 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month are fixed holidays for the High Court and all subordinate courts.
- Sab-e-Barat (Feb 4) and Mahabir Jayanti (Mar 31) are sectional holidays for Muslim and Jain employees respectively.
- Darjeeling and Kalimpong courts (except Siliguri) have no summer vacation; their annual vacations run Jan 2–26 and Dec 25–31.
- Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench sits in 15 sessions, for example Jan 5–16, May 11–22 and Dec 14–24.
- Port Blair Circuit Bench sits in 12 sessions, for example Jan 2–15, June 8–22 and Dec 7–21.
- Andaman & Nicobar District Courts have an annual vacation from May 1 to May 29.
When a Limitation Deadline Falls in the Calcutta High Court Vacation: What the Supreme Court Says
Court holidays and vacations do not simply pause every deadline. Under Section 4 of the Limitation Act, 1963, only the prescribed period that ends on a closed day carries over to the reopening day. The decisions below set that rule.
2011
Section 4 covers only the prescribed period
The Supreme Court held that the “prescribed period” in Section 4 of the Limitation Act, 1963 means the limitation period the law fixes. It does not include any further time a court may allow in its discretion. If only the discretionary extension ends during a court closure, the party cannot file on the reopening day and treat the filing as in time.
2024
Puja vacation did not save late filing
The three-month period under Section 34(3) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 ended on 30 September 2022. That was one day before the Calcutta High Court’s Puja vacation began. The State filed on 31 October 2022 and asked for Section 4 benefit. The Supreme Court refused and held that the 30-day proviso period is not part of the “prescribed period”. The challenge was time-barred.
2025
Reopening day helps only the prescribed period
The 30-day condonable period ended during the High Court’s summer vacation, and the petition was filed on the reopening day. The Supreme Court held that Section 4 applies only where the three-month prescribed period itself ends on a court holiday. It also held that Section 10 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 cannot be used, because the Limitation Act applies. The petition was time-barred.
2022
Pandemic period excluded from limitation
Using its powers under Article 142, the Supreme Court excluded the period from 15.03.2020 to 28.02.2022 when computing limitation for judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings. The order also gave a minimum of 90 days from 01.03.2022 in stated cases. This was a special order for the pandemic. Ordinary court holidays and vacations in 2026 are still governed by the Limitation Act.
Planning a Filing Around the 2026 Court Holiday Calendar
Check the official notification for your court
Start with the Calcutta High Court’s official 2026 holiday notification and the list for your district court. The High Court, City Civil Court, District Civil Courts and District Criminal Courts do not close on the same days, especially during the summer, annual and Christmas vacations. Verify the dates for the exact court where you will file.
Count the limitation period correctly
Work out the last date under the statute that applies, excluding the day of the judgment or order as Section 12 of the Limitation Act, 1963 provides. Then see whether that last date falls on a holiday, a 2nd or 4th Saturday, or a vacation day in the 2026 calendar.
Find out whether Section 4 actually helps
If the prescribed period ends on a day the court is closed, Section 4 lets you file on the day the court reopens. If only a discretionary or condonable period ends during the vacation, the Supreme Court’s rulings above mean you should file before the vacation starts.
For urgent matters, check the vacation bench arrangements
Injunctions, bail, writs against coercive action and other urgent matters may need a hearing during a vacation. Read the High Court’s vacation bench notice for that period to see the sitting dates, the filing counter timings and how urgent matters are mentioned. Discuss with a Calcutta High Court advocate whether the matter can be listed.
Watch for local and moon-dependent holidays
Id-ul-Fitr, Bakrid, Muharram and Fateha-Duaz-Daham are declared later. District Judges may also declare local holidays, and the courts in Darjeeling and Kalimpong follow a different vacation pattern. Check the latest notice from the subordinate courts before relying on any date.
Common Mistakes With Court Holidays and Deadlines
Assuming every vacation extends every deadline Section 4 of the Limitation Act, 1963 saves only a prescribed period that ends on a closed day. The Supreme Court has refused this benefit where only the extra condonable period ended during the Puja or summer vacation.
Using the High Court calendar for a district court In 2026 the High Court’s summer vacation runs from 25 May to 6 June, but the subordinate courts close only from 25 to 30 May. District Criminal Courts reopen earlier in the annual vacation. Check the column for your own court.
Relying on the General Clauses Act where the Limitation Act applies In My Preferred Transformation (2025), the Supreme Court held that Section 10 of the General Clauses Act, 1897 cannot be used where the Limitation Act, 1963 applies. Do not plan a filing on the assumption that both will help.
Not checking holidays that are declared later Holidays that depend on the moon and local holidays declared by District Judges can change the calendar during the year. Verify the latest official notification before you count on any date.
Facing a deadline near a court vacation?
Limitation, urgent interim relief and vacation bench listing can all turn on the court calendar. If you have a matter before the Calcutta High Court, a City Civil Court or a District Court in West Bengal, you can discuss the timing and the next procedural steps with the chambers. Each matter depends on its own facts and the applicable law, and no outcome can be promised. Please bring your papers and relevant dates, and verify the notified holiday list before relying on any date.
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Frequently asked questions about the 2026 West Bengal court holiday calendar
The page links to the High Court holiday list PDF, a detailed list of West Bengal courts’ holidays and the official notification of the Calcutta High Court. Use the official notification as the final reference, since dates for moon-dependent holidays are announced later.
According to this calendar, the Summer Vacation runs from May 25 to June 6, and the Annual Vacation from October 16 to November 11, including Diwali and Bhatridwitiya on November 9–11. Please verify against the official notification before relying on these dates.
Not entirely. Subordinate courts observe only May 25–30 of the summer vacation. District Civil Courts follow the High Court’s Annual Vacation, but District Criminal Courts break only from October 16 to 26 and work again before Diwali.
District courts such as Barrackpore, Alipore and Howrah generally follow the West Bengal District Civil and Criminal Court schedule in the table. District Judges may add up to two local holidays, so check your own court’s notice.
The 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month are fixed holidays for the High Court and all subordinate Civil and Criminal courts. The other Saturdays are working days unless they fall on a listed holiday.
No. Id-Ul-Fitre, Id-Uz-Zoha (Bakrid), Muharram and Fateha-Duaz-Daham depend on the visibility of the moon. They will be formally announced later for all court tiers, so the table does not show their dates.
No. Courts in Darjeeling and Kalimpong, except Siliguri, have no summer vacation. They have an annual vacation from January 2 to 26 and again from December 25 to 31. They also observe July 13.
Yes, through circuit benches. In 2026 the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench sits in 15 sessions and the Port Blair Circuit Bench in 12, usually in two-week blocks. Confirm exact session dates in the official notification.
