Private and public sector banks across several parts of India are headed for a long weekend this week, between March 19 and 22.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has listed a total of 18 holidays during the month for all lenders, including the State Bank of India (SBI). This includes the weekend holidays for the second Saturday, the fourth Saturday, and all Sundays.
Unless a specific public or regional holiday is declared, banks typically remain open on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of each month.
Overall, bank holidays across states may differ due to regional and local requirements. So, it’s best for a user to check with their local bank branch for their approved holiday schedule or list to be prepared in case of emergencies or long holidays.
Bank holidays this week
March 19 (Thursday): Gudhi Padwa/Ugadi Festival/Telugu New Year’s Day/Sajibu Nongmapanba (Cheiraoba)/1st Navratra – Banks closed in Belapur, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Mumbai, Nagpur, Panaji, Srinagar, and Vijayawada
March 20 (Friday): Eid-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) – Banks closed in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Vijayawada.
March 21 (Saturday): Ramzan-Id (Id-Ul-Fitr) (Shawal-1)/Khutub-E-Ramzan/Sarhul – Banks closed in Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Itanagar, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kohima, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, and Srinagar.
March 22 (Sunday): Mandatory weekend off – All banks closed pan-India.
When are banks usually shut?
Banks are typically closed in various parts of the country to mark national, religious and regional observances. Additionally, banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays of the month.
Are online banking services available on a bank holiday?
Notably, online banking services will be available across the country to ensure uninterrupted access to banking services, even on bank holidays. Customers can use these services for convenient financial transactions.
A person can use UPI or the respective bank’s app to make paymets as well as received money from others. These services work around the clock, whether banks are open or not. Though, at times it may be down due to scheduled maintenance, during which the banks will notify you.
Additionally, fund transfer requests can be made using NEFT/RTGS transfer forms, demand draft request forms and chequebook forms.
Apart from those options, credit cards, debit cards, and ATM cards can also be obtained through card services. Services such as account maintenance forms, setting up standing instructions, and applying for a locker are also available.
