Bank holidays this week: From Ashtami and Navami to Dussehra – Banks are closed for up to 4 days in a row in these state | Mint

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the bank holidays for October 2024. Banks will remain closed for a total of 15 days this month. These non-working days include major national holidays, regional festivals, and election dates. Notably, Gandhi Jayanti will be observed on Wednesday, October 2, and several regional holidays such as Navratri, Durga Puja, and state-specific festivals will lead to additional closures.

The RBI oversees the scheduling of holidays, including Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) holidays and account closure restrictions, which apply to both public and private sector banks. Depending on regional festivities and events, these holidays will be observed across various states. Despite branch closures, online and digital banking services will remain available, ensuring that customers can manage their finances without disruption.

Key Bank Holidays in October 2024 this week

Some of the most significant holidays include:

Upcoming bank holidays this week

October 10: Durga Puja/Dussehra (Maha Saptami) (Banks will remain closed in Agartala, Guwahati, Kohima, Kolkata)

October 11: Dusshera (Mahashtami/Mahanavami)/Ayudha Pooja/Durga Puja (Dasain)/Durga Ashtami (Banks will remain closed in Agartala, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gangtok, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Kolkata, Patna, Shillong, Ranchi)

October 12: Second Saturday/ Dasara/Dussehra (Mahanavami/Vijayadashmi)/Durga Puja (Dasain) (Banks will remain closed in Agartala, Belapur, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad – Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad – Telangana, Itanagar, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Shimla, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram)

October 14: Durga Puja (Dasain) (Banks will remain closed in Gangtok)

October 17, 2024 (Thursday): Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti/Kati Bihu – Celebrated in states like Karnataka, Assam, and Himachal Pradesh.

October 26, 2024 (Saturday): Accession Day – Celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir.

October 31, 2024 (Thursday): Diwali (Deepavali) – A major festival observed nationwide, particularly in states like Gujarat and West Bengal, also marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Birthday.

In addition to these, banks will also observe statutory closures on the second and fourth Saturdays (October 12 and 26), as well as every Sunday during the month.

State-wise Bank Holidays

The month of October will see varied state-specific holidays. For instance, Assam will celebrate Kati Bihu on October 17, while Jammu and Kashmir will observe Accession Day on October 26. Similarly, many states will observe Durga Puja and Dussehra on different dates in the second week of October. The full list of state-wise holidays is provided below:

October 10 (Thursday): Maha Saptami (observed in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, and others).

October 11 (Friday): Maha Ashtami/Ayudha Pooja (observed in Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal).

October 12 (Saturday): Vijayadashami/Dussehra (across multiple states).

October 31 (Thursday): Naraka Chaturdashi/Kali Puja (West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Gujarat).

While bank branches will remain closed on these holidays, customers will continue to have access to digital banking services, allowing them to conduct transactions, make payments, and access other online services seamlessly throughout the month.