  We identify 228 periodic variables in the region of young open cluster NGC
281 using time series photometry carried out from 1 m class ARIES telescopes,
Nainital. The cluster membership of these identified variables is determined on
the basis colour-magnitude, two colour diagrams and kinematic data. Eighty one
variable stars are found to be members of the cluster NGC 281. Of 81 variables,
30 and 51 are probable main-sequence and pre-main-sequence members,
respectively. Present study classifies main-sequence variable stars into
different variability types according to their periods of variability, shape of
light curves and location in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. These identified
main-sequence variables could be $\beta$ Cep, $\delta$ Scuti, slowly pulsating
B type and new class variables. Among 51 pre-main-sequence variables, majority
of them are weak line T Tauri stars. The remaining 147 variables could belong
to the field population. The variability characteristics of the field
population indicate that these variables could be RR Lyrae, $\delta$ Scuti and
binaries type variables.
