Residents of Jalandhar are set to get a long weekend next week as the district administration has declared Friday, September 25, 2026, a local holiday on the occasion of the annual fair of Shri Siddh Baba Sodal Maharaj Ji and since September 25 falls on a Friday, the holiday will give people in Jalandhar a three-day break when combined with the weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
The holiday has been declared ahead of the annual Baba Sodal Mela, one of Jalandhar’s major religious gatherings and the fair attracts a large number of devotees from Jalandhar, other parts of Punjab and neighbouring areas.
According to the order issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, on September 15, the decision has been taken keeping in view the movement, convenience and safety of devotees expected to attend the mela, and the administration is also expected to deal with increased movement of people around the fair area during the celebrations. Declaring a local holiday is intended to make public movement easier and facilitate participation in the religious event.
The September 25 holiday will apply to Punjab government offices, corporations, boards, educational institutions and other government institutions located within Jalandhar district, as covered by the Deputy Commissioner's order.
The order has also been circulated among senior government officials, district-level authorities and heads of concerned departments for necessary action.
For people covered under the order, the holiday falls on a Friday, immediately before the regular Saturday-Sunday weekend, so that means September 25 to September 27 will effectively become a three-day weekend for eligible employees, students and institutions, however, the holiday is local to Jalandhar district. It is not a holiday across Punjab, meaning government institutions and educational establishments in other districts will not automatically get September 25 off under this particular order, so, while the state will continue with its normal schedule, Jalandhar is set for a long weekend because of the Sodal Mela holiday.
