Raksha Bandhan 2024: Are banks closed on August 19 for Rakhi? Check all bank holiday list details here

Bank Holiday today: Today, August 19, is the festival of Rakhi also known as Raksha Bandhan, and it is hence a bank holiday in some states across the country. These states are — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Srinagar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its official list of holidays has designated August 19 as a holiday for banks in various cities on account of Raksha Bandhan, Jhulana Purnima and birth anniversary of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur.

Banks will be closed in cities such as Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Dehradun, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow and Shimla on account of Rakhi / Raksha Bandhan and the other festivals.

Meanwhile, besides festivals and national holidays, August 2024 also has a total of two Saturdays and four Sundays off, besides regional and religious festivities. Overall, the month has nine bank holidays.

Customers should note that non-working days for banks differs from state to state in India, and it is prudent to check with your local bank branch for their holiday list before to keep informed.

Online Banking Services

For cash emergencies, all banks operate their online websites and mobile banking services apps regardless of weekend or other leaves — unless notified to users for particular reasons. You can also access any bank's ATMs for cash withdrawals.

Customers must note that bank holidays differ across states due to the regional requirements. Thus to stay informed, you should confirm the full list of holidays with their nearest bank branch to plan better and avoid last-minute confusion and emergencies.

All of the bank's annual holiday calendar is declared by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which deals with the issuance of cheques and promissory notes. Transactions involving these instruments are thus not available during these listed holidays.

Full List of Bank Holidays in August 2024

The RBI and state governments create a list of holidays for banks, taking into account national and local occasions, operational requirements, religious celebrations and other cultural observances. The central bank makes the announcement through its official website and notifications to banks and other financial institutions.

August 2024 has at least nine listed non-working days (including weekend leaves). Notably, there is also a long weekend at the months-end, so plan your bank visits accordingly. Here is the full list (public and private banks) to see:

• August 19: Banks in Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will stay shut on this day for the festival of Rakhi.
• August 26: Most states will see their banks closed on this day for the festival of Krishna Janmabhoomi.
• Weekend Holidays: Sunday holiday is on August 25; while fourth Saturday off is on August 24.
• Past holidays this month: August 4 (Sunday), August 10 (second Saturday), August 11 (Sunday), August 15 (Independence Day / Parsi New Year), and August 18 (Sunday).