State government offices, public schools, and colleges across West Bengal remained closed on Friday following an official state notification revising the official Vishwakarma Puja holiday schedule. The state government adjusted the academic calendar to provide a dedicated holiday for educational institutions on September 18, offering students and teaching staff an extended three-day weekend break connecting into the regular Sunday closure. Educational authorities and school management boards issued advance circulars directing institutions to reschedule weekly instructional modules, laboratory sessions, and internal unit tests around the festive break. While state-run primary and secondary schools adhered to the revised state gazette notification, private educational boards aligned their individual academic calendars to ensure smooth syllabus coverage before upcoming mid-term examinations. Educational administrators emphasized that aligning state holiday calendars with major cultural festivals allows students and teaching communities to participate in traditional festivities while providing necessary academic downtime during a busy autumn semester filled with upcoming board evaluations and competitive entrance preparation. Educational institutions, universities, and government offices across West Bengal remain closed today, Friday, September 18, 2026, on account of Vishwakarma Puja. The state-wide holiday follows an official notification issued by the West Bengal Finance Department, which revised the holiday schedule from its initial September 17 placement to Friday, September 18. The calendar adjustment aligns with the regional tithi and astronomical calculations (Gupta Press Panjika), granting students and public sector employees a continuous three-day break leading into the weekend. Vishwakarma Puja—dedicated to Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect and engineer in Hindu tradition—holds immense cultural and industrial significance across Eastern India, particularly in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The festival is widely observed across factories, transport hubs, IT parks, technical institutes, and artisanal workshops. Machinery, tools, vehicles, and industrial equipment are cleaned, decorated with marigold garlands, and worshiped to seek blessings for safety, operational efficiency, and workplace prosperity.Beyond formal factory rituals, the festival transforms the urban landscape across Kolkata and major towns in West Bengal through traditional kite-flying competitions (Ghudri). Thousands of colorful kites dot the sky throughout the day, accompanied by community feasts and neighborhood cultural gatherings. While public transport services and emergency health facilities continue operating as normal, routine academic classes, university examinations, and government administrative services stand suspended for the day, resuming standard operations on Monday, September 21.