Banks in India will be closed for 18 days in March 2026, including weekends and regional holidays such as Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Gudi Padwa, and Ram Navami, according to the Reserve Bank of India holiday calendar for 2026.
Banks will be closed on Sundays, second and fourth Saturdays, and other regional holidays specific to each state in India. Bank branches in various cities may be closed on specific dates, depending upon regional holidays, which may impact bank customers in-person bank transactions.
The bank holiday list has been announced in accordance with the Negotiable Instruments Act, RBI guidelines, and regional festival calendars, as reported by the Indian Express.
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Holi, Eid and regional festivals among key bank holidays
Several major festivals are scheduled to be celebrated, resulting in bank holidays in the coming month.
Several bank holidays are scheduled to occur in the coming month due to the celebration of Holi-related holidays on March 2, 3, and 4 in various cities of the country. Major financial cities of the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Jaipur, are likely to observe bank holidays on some of these dates.
Later in the month, banks will remain closed for festivals including Chapchar Kut, Shab-I-Qadr, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Eid-ul-Fitr and Ram Navami in various states.
The biggest bank holiday in the month of March is scheduled to occur on March 21, as several cities of the country are likely to observe Eid-ul-Fitr (Ramzan Id) holiday, according to the RBI holiday calendar. Bank holidays are also scheduled to occur in the coming month in India on March 14 and 28, as these dates fall on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, respectively.
Online banking services will remain available
Despite branch closures, digital banking services will continue to operate normally.
Customers can still access online and mobile banking platforms for fund transfers, bill payments and balance enquiries. ATM withdrawals, card transactions and digital requests for services such as chequebooks and demand drafts will also remain available.
However, in-branch services such as cash deposits, cheque clearance and document processing may be affected on holiday dates.
Bank customers are therefore advised to schedule branch visits in advance and rely on digital banking services during closure periods.
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Bank holidays in March 2026
Major nationwide closures include:
March 1 – Sunday
March 3–4 – Holi in several cities
March 14 – Second Saturday
March 21 – Eid-ul-Fitr (many cities)
March 28 – Fourth Saturday
March 31 – Mahavir Jayanti (selected cities)
Other regional holidays such as Chapchar Kut, Shab-I-Qadr, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa and Ram Navami will lead to bank closures in specific states. The complete city-wise list is available in the RBI holiday calendar for 2026.
