School Holiday: Krishna Janmashtami, also referred to as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, will fall on Saturday, August 16, 2025. The day is celebrated as the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. The biggest celebrations are found in Mathura and Vrindavan, but the day is celebrated almost everywhere in the country with cultural activities, devotional singing, temple ornamentation, and traditional dance performances.
Even though Janmashtami is celebrated all over the country, the announcement of holidays for schools, colleges, and institutions differs from state to state. In a few areas, schools and banks are closed, but in other areas, routine operations are carried out.
Janmashtami Holiday 2025: State's name
No official statement has been released from the central or state governments regarding the closing schools but most probably on this day the schools on the following states and cities will remain close:
1. Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
2. Aizawl (Mizoram)
3. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
4. Chandigarh
5. Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
6. Dehradun (Uttarakhand)
7. Gangtok (Sikkim)
8. Hyderabad (Telangana)
9. Jaipur (Rajasthan)
10. Jammu & Kashmir
11. Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
12. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)
13. Patna (Bihar)
14. Raipur (Chhattisgarh)
15. Ranchi (Jharkhand)
16. Shillong (Meghalaya)
17. Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh)
Long-weekend
Since August 15 (Friday) is Independence Day and August 17 is a Sunday, most schools can opt to keep themselves closed on August 16, thus providing students with an extended weekend. If they do that, normal classes will resume on Monday, August 18.
Why is Janmashtami celebrated?
According to Hindu mythology, Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in Mathura on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada. His birth is said to have occurred more than 5,000 years ago, when there was an era of oppression under King Kansa, the brother of Devaki. Krishna's birth heralded the victory of virtue over vice. The festival is celebrated with fasting, devotional music, dance-dramas, and temple worship, particularly in Mathura and Vrindavan.
