July Bank Holidays 2024
In the month of July, several festivals are celebrated in different parts of the country. Listed in the table below are the festivals that will be celebrated in the month of July next year.
| Date | Day | Holiday | States |
29 July
| Monday
| Ker Puja | Mizoram
|
| 05 July | Friday | Guru Har Gobind Singh's Birthday | Jammu and Kashmir |
06 July
| Saturday | MHIP day
| Mizoram
|
| 07 July | Sunday | Bonalu | Telangana
|
13 July
| Saturday
| Bhanu Jayanti
| Sikkim
|
17 July
| Wednesday
| U-Tirot Sing Day
| Meghalaya
|
| 07 July | Sunday | Rath Yatra | Odisha |
| 17 July | Wednesday | Muharram
| National except for Sikkim, Puducherry, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman, and Diu
|
| 31 July | Wednesday | Shaheed Udham Singh's Martyrdom Day | Haryana |
Description of Holidays in July 2024
Behdienkhalam – The festival is celebrated for good health, prosperity, and a mega harvest. The festival begins with the sacrifice of a pig to ‘Knia Pyrthat’ (Thunder). This is followed by the priest ringing a brass bell along the main road to the point where the forest begins. As part of the festival, tall, round, and polished trunks of trees are cut and left in the woods for two days. Later, the logs are brought to the town with much fanfare. After the rituals are done, the logs are thrown into the river. At the end of the festival, a game called ‘Dad-Lawakor’ is played.
Guru Hargobind Ji’s birthday – Also known as Guru Hargobind Jayanti, the day is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Nanak in the Sikh religion. On the day of the festival, people visit Gurdwaras and attend the Shabad Kirtan and eat the langar served on the occasion. At night, rehas are recited which is followed by the recitation of the Kirtan. Some Gurdwaras organize processions to mark the occasion.
MHIP Day – The day is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), the lone women’s voluntary organization in Mizoram. To mark the occasion, special functions are held across the state. These include community services like cleaning streets and other surroundings. The biggest philanthropic organization in the state MHIP fights for women who face atrocities, extends help to the needy, and provides family counseling.
Bhanu Jayanti – The festival is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Bhanu bhakta Acharya. Acharya was a Nepali poet, translator, and writer. To mark the occasion, literary seminars and programs are organized.
Martyrs’ Day – The day is observed in tribute to those killed on 13 July 1931 in Jammu and Kashmir. On the day, tributes are paid to the martyrs. On the day, 22 Kashmiri people were killed outside the Central jail by the Dogra state forces on the command of Maharaja Hari Singh.
Bonalu – Basically a Hindu festival, Bonalu is celebrated during Ashada Masam which falls in the month of July or August. During the festival, Goddess Mahakali is worshipped. On the occasion, rice is prepared in an earthen or brass pot using milk and jaggery. The meal is adorned with neem leaves, turmeric, and vermilion. Women later carry the pots on their heads and offer them to Goddesses with sarees and bangles.
U Tirot Sing Day – The day is celebrated to commemorate the death of one of the chiefs of the Khasi people named U Tirot Sing Syiem, who was hanged by the British. On the day, tributes are paid to the brave Khasi king who stood up to the British in 1929.
Karkidaka Vavu – On the occasion of Karkidaka Vavu, people perform the ritual of ‘Bali Tharpanam’ to pay homage to their departed ancestors. On that day, people wake up early and reach the Bali Tharpanam centers. The rituals are held across holy rivers, seashores, and temples across the state of Kerala. On the day, the person performing the ritual observes a fast. Cooking of non-vegetarian food is prohibited on the occasion and a special dish called ‘Vavu Ada’ is prepared.
Haryali Teej – Known as the Swing festival, Haryali Teej is celebrated in the Hindu month of Shravan. On the occasion, married women dress as brides and observe a fast. The festival symbolizes happiness, prosperity, and growth in the marital life of couples. The festival is also observed by unmarried girls.
Kharchi Puja – This festival involves the worship of the fourteen gods forming the dynasty deity of the Tripuri people. The festival is celebrated in the temples of the fourteen gods. It is celebrated to worship mother earth. On the day of the festival, the idols of the fourteen gods are carried to Saidra river and are bathed in the holy water. Once they are brought back to the temples, puja is performed, and animals are sacrificed.
Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Uddham Singh – Celebrations take place to commemorate the death anniversary of Shaheed Uddham Singh. On this day, tributes are paid to the Indian revolutionary who avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by killing Michael Dwyer.
Bakrid – The festival is celebrated to commemorate the sacrifices of Prophet Ibrahim. The festival is celebrated after the Hajj pilgrimage. As part of the festival, feasts are held. Friends and family also visited Bakrid.
