As the festive season approaches in India, banks will be observing several holidays due to Durga Puja and Dussehra, potentially affecting branch operations in various states. It's important for customers to plan their banking activities accordingly.
Durga Puja and Associated Holidays
Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharadotsava, is a major Hindu festival that honors the goddess Durga and celebrates her victory over the demon Mahishasura. The festival is primarily celebrated in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, and Bihar, but also observed in other states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and more. Durga Puja 2025 will be celebrated from September 28 to October 2, with preceding rituals and festivities beginning a week earlier, starting with Mahalaya on September 21. The most important days of the festival are Mahalaya, Maha Sashti, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, and Vijayadashami.
During Durga Puja, several states will observe bank holidays:
- September 29, 2025 (Monday): Banks will be closed in Tripura, West Bengal, and Assam for Maha Saptami.
- September 30, 2025 (Tuesday): Bank closures are scheduled in Agartala, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Imphal, Jaipur, Kolkata, Patna, and Ranchi for Maha Ashtami/Durga Ashtami. The Kerala government has also declared September 30, 2025, as a public holiday on account of Navaratri celebrations.
- October 1, 2025 (Wednesday): Banks will be closed in Tripura, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Meghalaya for Navratri End/Maha Navami/Dussehra/Ayudha Pooja/Vijayadasami/Durga Puja.
Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti
Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is another significant Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana and the triumph of good over evil. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin in the Hindu lunisolar calendar, which falls in late September or early October. In 2025, Dussehra will be celebrated on October 2.
October 2nd is also observed as Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday in India. As a result, banks across the country will be closed on this day for both Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra.
Additional Holidays
Following Dussehra, banks in Sikkim will remain closed on October 3 and 4 for Durga Puja (Dasain) celebrations. Additionally, banks across India will be closed on Sunday, October 5, for the weekly holiday.
Navratri Celebrations
The Sharadiya Navratri festival will be celebrated from September 22 to October 2, 2025. This nine-day festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her nine forms. Each day of Navratri is associated with a specific color, and devotees often wear clothing of that color to honor the goddess. The nine Navratri colors for 2025 are:
- September 22: White
- September 23: Red
- September 24: Royal Blue
- September 25: Yellow
- September 26: Green
- September 27: Grey
- September 28: Orange
- September 29: Peacock Green
- September 30: Pink
Online Banking and ATMs
Despite the bank holidays, customers can still access online and mobile banking services, as well as NEFT and RTGS services. ATMs will also remain open for cash withdrawals, and UPI and other payment apps will function as usual.
RBI Guidelines
Bank holidays in India vary from state to state, depending on the specific festivals and customs observed in each region. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases a list of bank holidays each year, taking into account these regional differences.
