With Diwali on the horizon, banks will remain closed for several days across many states next week. Diwali festivities, which begin with Dhanteras, span five days across India. So, banks in many states are scheduled to be closed for festivals like Diwali Laxmi Pujan, Kali Puja, Govardhan Puja and Bhaidooj, as per regional calendars.
This year, Diwali will be celebrated on October 20 as per the Hindu calendar. This means that banks will remain closed in different states from Monday to Thursday, October 23, for various festivals. However, the bank holidays may vary as per regional calendars.
As a result, customers are advised to plan their financial transactions in advance. They can check the holiday calendar for their local branches to stay informed and avoid any inconvenience before planning any bank visits.
However, online banking services won't be affected during bank holidays. Customers can continue to use ATM, UPI, net banking and other digital services.
Bank Holidays Next Week
According to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) holiday calendar, banks will remain closed on Diwali (Deepavali), Naraka Chaturdashi and Kali Puja on October 20. A holiday will also be observed on Diwali Amavasya (Laxmi Pujan) on October 21 in many states.
Celebrations will continue with Diwali (Bali Pratipada), Vikram Samvant New Year Day, Govardhan Puja, and Balipadyami, leading to bank holidays in multiple states. This will be followed by a holiday on October 23 for Bhai Dooj, Chitragupt Jayanti/Laxmi Puja (Deepawali)/Bhratridwitiya/Ningol Chakkouba.
State-Wise Diwali Bank Holidays
October 20 - Holiday in all states except Manipur, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir.
October 21 - Holiday in Maharashtra, MP, Odisha, Sikkim, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir.
October 22 - Holiday in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Rajasthan and UP.
October 23 - Holiday in Gujarat, Sikkim, Manipur, UP, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.
Bank Holidays In October
With the festive season underway, banks are scheduled to remain closed for up to 21 days in October. Of these, around 13 holidays fall on weekdays, while the rest are on weekends.
As per RBI guidelines, banks remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays every month. However, due to regional festivals, banks were also closed on the first and third Saturdays in a few states, taking the total number of bank holidays this month to 21.
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