Holiday bonanza in 2017!

As we head for a weekend, one cannot help but feel that the month of December does not hold any holidays. Its all over – this year many holidays came over the weekend, including the coveted Diwali, Christmas and even Independence Day.

But fret not. The holiday list for 2017 is out and it looks like a fantabulous year! It has 14 long weekends, including two nine-day bonanzas—one in Aug and the other in Oct. Get prepping, folks!

Thu, 26 Jan: Republic Day
Sat, 28 Jan
Sun, 29 Jan
Consider: Gulmarg or Auli for skiing; Jawai to spot leopards

Fri, 24 Feb: Mahashivratri
Sat, 25 Feb
Sun, 26 Feb
Consider: Agra for Taj Mahotsav (18–27 Feb); Andaman Islands for diving; Goa for Carnival (25–28 Feb)

Sat, 11 Mar
Sun, 12 Mar
Mon, 13 Mar: Holi
Consider: Mathura for Holi; Coorg to catch the white coffee flowers in bloom; Jaipur before summer kicks in

Sat, 25 Mar
Sun, 26 Mar
Tue, 28 Mar: Gudi Padva
Consider: Rishikesh for white-water rafting

Sat, 1 Apr
Sun, 2 Apr
Tue, 4 Apr: Ram Navami
Consider: Srinagar for tulips

Thu, 13 Apr: Vaisakhi
Fri, 14 Apr: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti, Good Friday
Sat, 15 Apr
Sun, 16 Apr: Easter
Consider: Amritsar for Baisakhi (14 Apr) Mahabaleshwarfor the Mapro Strawberry Festival (Easter weekend)

Sat, 29 Apr
Sun, 30 Apr
Mon, 1 May: May Day
Consider: Shillong, Mashobra or Landour to beat the heat; Tadoba or Ranthambore to spot the big cat; Tawang for adventure

Sat, 24 Jun
Sun, 25 Jun
Mon, 26 Jun: Ramzan Eid
Consider: Hyderabad or Lucknow for Ramzan Eid; Munnar for the monsoon; Dharamshala for camping/trekking

Sat, 12 Aug
Sun, 13 Aug
Mon, 14 Aug: Janmashtami or take leave
Tue, 15 Aug: Independence Day
Wed, 16 Aug: Take leave
Thu, 17 Aug: Parsi New Year
Fri, 18 Aug: Take leave
Sat, 19 Aug
Sun, 20 Aug
Consider: Ladakh for adventure; Uttarakhand for trekking and Valley of Flowers

Fri, 25 Aug: Ganesh Chaturthi
Sat, 26 Aug
Sun, 27 Aug
Consider: Pune for Ganesh Chaturthi; Coonoor for cheese-making at Acres Wild; Agumbe, Karnataka for a monsoon drive; Bali for a beach break

Sat, 30 Sep
Sun, 1 Oct
Mon, 2 Oct: Gandhi Jayanti
Consider: Bhutan for the Thimphu Tshechu festival (30 Sep–2 Oct); Bandhavgarh for wildlife season; Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh for the pleasant weather

Sat, 14 Oct
Sun, 15 Oct
Mon, 16 Oct: Dhanteras or take leave
Tue, 17 Oct: Naraka Chaturdashi or take leave
Wed, 18 Oct: Diwali
Thu, 19 Oct: Balipratipada
Fri, 20 Oct: Bhaiduj
Sat, 21 Oct
Sun, 22 Oct
Consider: Gangtok for clear views of the Kanchenjunga; Rajasthan for Diwali; Birand Billing for paragliding

Fri, 1 Dec: Eid-e-Milad
Sat, 2 Dec
Sun, 3 Dec
Consider: Nagaland for Hornbill Festival; Periyar for wildlife; Bharatpur or Odisha for spotting migratory birds

Sat, 23 Dec
Sun, 24 Dec
Mon, 25 Dec: Christmas T Manali for the snow; Puducherry or Alappuzha for a winter break