School Holidays From Oct 27 To Oct 31 : Schools Are Closed In These States For Chhath Puja, Cyclone Montha

School Holidays 2025: Many states in India have declared school holidays due to celebration of Pratihar Shashthi which is popularly known as Surya Shashthi or Chhath Puja. Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal are among some of the states where schools will be closed. Apart from this, several state have declared school holidays due to the weather conditions that have worsened due to Cyclone Montha. The schools are likely to be closed till October 31st in many states.

School Holidays Delhi:

While recognising the deep cultural and spiritual importance of the festival in the state, Delhi's chief minister Rekha Gupta declared October 27 as holiday for schools, colleges and other educational institutions. The holiday was also approved by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

School Holidays Bihar:

This state has declared holiday for a 3 whopping days, starting from October 27th to October 29th for celebration of Chhath Puja festival.

School Holidays Uttar Pradesh:

Both government and private schools, colleges and education institutions are closed from October 27th to October 28th in places like Lucknow and Gorakhpur.

School Holidays West Bengal:

In this state, the celebration is doubled. Schools are in majority places of West Bengal till October 31st for celebration of Jagadhatri Puja which is a popular festival in the state. Also, educational institutions will be shut till October 28th for Chhath Puja.

School Holidays Andhra Pradesh:

Due to the intense spell and warnings of Cyclone Montha, the Board of Intermediate Education in Andhra Pradesh declared holidays for educational institutions till October 31st in regions like Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, and YSR Kadapa.

School Holidays Odisha:

All schools including private ones are announced to be closed in Gajapati district of Odisha till October 30th due to its exposure towards the cyclone. Further, eight other districts have declared school holidays namely Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur.

Chhath Puja 2025 Rituals:

Chhath Puja is more than a religious ritual; it's a way of expressing gratitude to nature and its elements. Devotees thank Surya Dev for sustaining life and providing energy to all living beings, as per Svastika blog. It has highlighted the date, time, muhurat and significance of Chhath Puja:

Day 1 - Nahay Khay (25 October 2025)

The first day begins with devotees taking a holy bath in a river or pond and cleaning their homes.

Day 2 - Kharna (26 October 2025)

On this day, devotees observe a full-day fast and break it only after sunset.

Day 3 - Sandhya Arghya (27 October 2025)

This is the most important day of Chhath Puja. Devotees gather on riverbanks or rooftops at sunset to offer arghya (water offering) to the setting sun. The scene of thousands of diyas flickering near the water creates an atmosphere of divine energy and peace.

Day 4 - Usha Arghya (28 October 2025)

The final day marks the offering to the rising sun. Devotees stand in water, offering prayers to Surya Dev for health, prosperity, and the well-being of their families. After the ritual, they break their fast with prasad, concluding the four-day vrat.

Cyclone Montha:

The tropical storm 'Montha' will be a borderline severe storm and may barely reach the threshold mark of a sustained wind speed of 90 km/h for the severe category. The storm is under environmental conditions of strong vertical wind shear, which is partially being offset by warm sea surface and significant outflow, as per Skymet Weather.