Bank Holidays March 2026: At the onset of a new week, many people across India are wondering if banks will remain open between March 23 and March 29, 2026. Depending on the regional and local observances, bank holidays may vary from state to state. So, a user needs to check with the local bank branch for the approved holiday schedule or list to be prepared in case of emergencies or long holiday periods.
Are banks open or closed between March 23 and 29?
This month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has listed a total of 18 holidays for all lenders, including the State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Axis Bank and HDFC Bank, among others. This includes the weekend holidays for second Saturday, fourth Saturday and all Sundays.
It is pertinent to note that usually, banks are operational on the first, third and fifth (in some cases) Saturdays of the month unless specified as holiday in the RBI holiday calendar.
Private and public sector banks in several parts of India will remain closed for four days between March 23 and 29, 2026, including the fourth Saturday and regular Sunday weekend holiday.
Bank Holidays March 2026: Check remaining dates
March 26 (Thursday) – Shree Ram Navami – Banks will remain closed in Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ranchi and Shimla.
March 27 (Friday) – Shree Ram Navami (Chaite Dashain) – Banks will remain shut for operations in Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Patna and Vijayawada.
March 28 (Saturday) – Fourth Saturday off – All public and private lenders will be closed throughout India.
March 29 (Sunday) – Mandatory weekend off – All banks closed pan-India.
Digital banking option functional
Even on a bank holiday, digital banking services remain fully functional on all days irrespective of branch operations. Customers can use the internet and mobile banking services, withdraw cash from ATMs and make payments using UPI . Daily digital transactions continue without any disruption.
Bank holidays decided by RBI
The Reserve Bank of India decides the bank holidays in India. It publishes the RBI bank holiday calendar at the beginning of every year.
Bank holidays are followed as per the RBI bank holiday calendar.
The RBI categorises all bank holidays into three parts — Negotiable Instruments Act, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) holidays and banks’ closing of accounts.
Bank holidays vary from region to region, depending on the festivals and observances. However, all banks observe holidays on national holidays like Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti.
