Quick answer: Yes, there is a 16 November 2026 holiday in Punjab. Monday, 16 November 2026 is the Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Ji and a gazetted holiday under the Punjab Government’s 2026 holiday notification. However, banks in Punjab will be open on this day, because it is not on the RBI’s bank holiday list for Punjab.
| Date | Monday, 16 November 2026 |
| Occasion | Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Ji (111th anniversary) |
| Punjab Govt offices | Closed (gazetted holiday, entry 27) |
| Banks in Punjab | Open (not an RBI holiday) |
| Central Govt offices in Punjab | Open (not on the central gazetted list) |
Is 16 November 2026 a Holiday in Punjab?
Yes. The Government of Punjab, Department of Personnel, notified its gazetted holidays for 2026 on 26 November 2025 (No. 06/01/2025-2P.P.3/781). Entry 27 in that list is the “Martyrdom Day of S. Kartar Singh Sarabha”, on 16 November 2026, Monday. Gazetted holidays apply to public offices under the Punjab Government.
Because the day falls on a Monday, Punjab Government employees get a long weekend: Saturday 14, Sunday 15 and Monday 16 November 2026.
16 November 2026 Holiday in Punjab: Who Is Closed?
- Punjab Government offices: Closed (state gazetted holiday).
- Government schools and colleges in Punjab: Generally closed, as they follow the state’s gazetted holiday list. Check your school’s or the Education Department’s notice for any change.
- Private schools, colleges and offices: Each follows its own holiday calendar. Confirm with your institution or employer.
- Central Government offices in Punjab: Open. The day is not on the central government’s gazetted holiday list.
- Banks: Open (see below).
Bank Holiday on 16 November? Are Banks Open on Monday in Punjab?
No, 16 November 2026 is not a bank holiday in Punjab. Banks will be open on Monday, 16 November. For November 2026, the RBI’s holiday list for its Chandigarh office has only two holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act: 9 November (Diwali/Vishwakarma Day) and 24 November (Guru Nanak Jayanti). Kartar Singh Sarabha Martyrdom Day is a state government holiday, not a bank holiday.
Why do some lists show a bank holiday on 16 November? That holiday is for Chhath Puja and applies only to banks in Bihar and Jharkhand. It does not apply in Punjab.
Bank Status Around 16 November 2026 in Punjab
| Date | Day | Banks in Punjab |
|---|---|---|
| 14 November 2026 | Saturday | Closed (second Saturday) |
| 15 November 2026 | Sunday | Closed |
| 16 November 2026 | Monday | Open |
| 24 November 2026 | Tuesday | Closed (Guru Nanak Jayanti) |
| 28 November 2026 | Saturday | Closed (fourth Saturday) |
The next holiday in Punjab after 16 November is Gurpurab on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Government offices and banks will both be closed that day. Read more: Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026: Date, Punjab and Bank Holiday.
Who Was Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha?
Kartar Singh Sarabha was one of the youngest martyrs of India’s freedom struggle. He was born on 24 May 1896 in Sarabha village in Ludhiana district, Punjab, to Mangal Singh and Sahib Kaur. He lost his father in childhood and was raised by his grandfather. After school in Ludhiana, he went to the United States in 1912 to study at the University of California, Berkeley.
In America, he saw how Indian immigrants and workers were humiliated and discriminated against. He joined the Ghadar Party, founded in 1913 by Sohan Singh Bhakna, Lala Har Dayal and others to end British rule in India. He worked on the party’s newspaper, Ghadar, helping with its Gurmukhi (Punjabi) edition and its printing.
After the First World War began in 1914, he returned to India to organise an uprising with fellow Ghadarites and worked with revolutionaries such as Rash Behari Bose. The planned revolt of February 1915 was betrayed and failed. Sarabha was arrested and tried in the First Lahore Conspiracy Case. In court he refused to apologise, and the judges called him one of the most dangerous of the rebels.
He was hanged in Lahore Central Jail on 16 November 1915, at the age of 19, along with his fellow revolutionaries. Shaheed Bhagat Singh regarded Sarabha as his hero and inspiration. Punjab observes 16 November every year to remember his sacrifice.
Kartar Singh Sarabha: Key Facts
| Born | 24 May 1896, Sarabha village, Ludhiana district |
| Parents | Mangal Singh and Sahib Kaur |
| Organisation | Ghadar Party (founded 1913) |
| Trial | First Lahore Conspiracy Case, 1915 |
| Martyrdom | 16 November 1915, Lahore Central Jail (age 19) |
| Remembered as | Hero and inspiration of Shaheed Bhagat Singh |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 16 November 2026 a holiday in Punjab?
Yes. Monday, 16 November 2026 is a Punjab Government gazetted holiday for the Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Ji.
Why is there a Monday holiday in Punjab on 16 November?
16 November is the martyrdom anniversary of Kartar Singh Sarabha, who was hanged in Lahore on 16 November 1915. In 2026 the date falls on a Monday.
Is 16 November a bank holiday or not?
Not in Punjab. The RBI holiday list for Punjab (Chandigarh office) does not include 16 November 2026. The 16 November bank holiday for Chhath Puja applies only in Bihar and Jharkhand.
Are banks open on Monday, 16 November in Punjab?
Yes. Banks in Punjab work normally on Monday, 16 November 2026. They are closed on Saturday 14 November (second Saturday) and Sunday 15 November.
Are schools closed in Punjab on 16 November 2026?
Government schools generally follow the state’s gazetted holiday list, so they are usually closed. Private schools follow their own calendars. Check your school’s notice.
Is 16 November Guru Nanak Jayanti?
No. Guru Nanak Jayanti (Gurpurab) 2026 is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
How old was Kartar Singh Sarabha when he was hanged?
He was 19 years old.
Related Holiday Lists
- Punjab Govt Holidays in November 2026
- Guru Nanak Jayanti 2026 (24 November)
- Punjab Govt Holidays 2026: Complete List and Official PDF
Sources
- Government of Punjab, Department of Personnel: gazetted holidays notification for 2026, No. 06/01/2025-2P.P.3/781, dated 26.11.2025 (PDF)
- Reserve Bank of India: holiday list for the Chandigarh office
- Press Information Bureau: Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha
- Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture: Unsung Heroes, Kartar Singh Sarabha
Last updated: 14 November 2026.
