Bank holidays next week: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has listed at least 12 holidays for November 2024, including religious festivals and regional events, Sundays, weekends, and other reasons. However, bank holidays across India differ from state to state and you should check with a local bank branch for their confirmed schedule or holiday list.
For next week, customers across multiple states will have to brace for a long weekend and four consecutive non-working days for banks. This is on account of Chhath Puja (November 7 and 8), second Saturday (November 9) and Sunday (November 10).
For Chhath, holidays are declared on November 7 in Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand and West Bengal for Chhath Puja. While on November 8, banks will remain closed in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Meghalaya for Chhath related celebration of Morning Arghya and the Wangala Festival.
All public and private banks across India, including the State Bank of India (SBI) have every second and fourth Saturday of the month as a holiday.
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.
Chhath is a Hindu festival celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and other regions. It occurs on the sixth day of the Kartik month as per the Hindu calendar, and is also known as Surya Shashti. The festival involves a four-day observance of ritual purity and fasting.
Chhath Puja is widely celebrated by natives of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh (often dubbed ‘Purvanchalis’ after Diwali. Devotees — mostly women — worship the Sun god and perform the ritual of 'Arghya' standing in knee-deep water during the festival. It assumes special significance this year with assembly elections around the corner. 'Purvanchali' voters will decide the fate of several candidates during the February polls.
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.
All of the bank's annual holiday calendar is declared by the 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.
Bank holidays in India are categorized as: Negotiable Instruments Act Holidays, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Holidays, and Account Closing Days.
