As India enters a busy festive week centered around Diwali, bank branches across the country will observe regional closures based on the holiday schedule published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), though these bank holidays are not uniform nationwide and vary significantly from state to state. While the festive season brings high activity, customers planning in-branch financial tasks are advised to consult their state-specific holiday calendars, as national bank closures will not apply across all regions on the same days. On Saturday, November 7, banks across the country will remain open and operational for standard branch transactions despite Choti Diwali festivities, as it falls on the first Saturday of the month, allowing customers regular access to in-person services subject to standard branch timings. However, branch operations will face closures early in the coming week in select states for occasions including Laxmi Puja, Govardhan Puja, Vishwakarma Day, Ningol Chakkouba, Bhratridwitiya, Bhai Dooj, and Chitragupt Jayanti. Specifically, regional bank branches in Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh, Sikkim, Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh will observe closures for Deepawali and Govardhan Puja celebrations. On November 10, banks in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim will remain shut to mark Diwali (Bali Pratipada), Govardhan Puja, Laxmi Puja, and Vikram Samvant New Year Day. Continuing the festive calendar on November 11, branches in Sikkim, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Himachal Pradesh will suspend physical operations for Laxmi Puja, Ningol Chakkouba, Bhratridwitiya, Bhai Dooj, and Chitragupt Jayanti. The RBI emphasizes that a physical branch holiday does not suspend essential electronic financial infrastructure for consumers. Throughout the festive period, self-service channels including online banking platforms, mobile banking applications, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will remain fully operational 24/7 for regular financial transactions such as electronic fund transfers, bill payments, and balance checks. However, physical branch-dependent work—such as clearing physical checks, making large cash deposits, issuing demand drafts, or executing specialized administrative account tasks—will be temporarily paused during state-specific holidays, requiring customers to plan ahead to avoid unexpected service delays.
Festive Season Bank Schedules: Check Branch Closures for Diwali and Bhai Dooj
