Bank holidays in March 2026: Banks shut for 17 days; open for govt business on Mahavir Jayanti, check list

March, typically a crucial month for year-end financial transactions, will see several bank and market closures owing to festival holidays across states and Union territories.

According to the RBI calendar, banks will remain closed for regular public transactions for 17 days in March, though the exact number would vary across states and UTs.

The first set of closures will be observed around Holi festivities.

Banks will remain shut for Holika Dahan in Uttar Pradesh on March 2.

On March 3, banks will be shut in several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Telangana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Goa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh for Holika Dahan, Holi, Dol Jatra, Dhulandi and Attukal Pongala, depending on regional traditions.

On March 4, banks will remain closed in multiple states for Holi and Yaosang.

Regional and religious festivals

Banks in Mizoram will remain closed on March 13 for Chapchar Kut.

On March 17, banks will be shut in Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir for Shab-I-Qadr.

A major cluster of state-specific New Year celebrations on March 19, including Gudhi Padwa, Ugadi, Telugu New Year’s Day, Sajibu Nongmapanba (Cheiraoba) and the first day of Chaitra Navratra, will see banks closed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Goa, among others.

Eid and Ram Navami

On March 20, banks will remain closed in Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh for Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday in the month of Ramadan before Id-Ul-Fitr.

On March 21, banks in most of the states and UTs will stay shut for Eid celebrations.

Banks in multiple states will remain closed on March 26 or March 27 for Shree Ram Navami.

Mahavir Jayanti

“The Government of India has made a request to keep all branches of the banks dealing with Government receipts and payments open for transactions on March 31, 2026 (Tuesday-Public Holiday) so as to account for all the Government transactions relating to receipts and payments in the Financial Year 2025-26 itself,” the central bank said.

“Accordingly, agency banks are advised to keep all their branches dealing with government business open on March 31, 2026 (Tuesday),” it added.

Apart from festive holidays, banks will also remain closed on five Sundays (March 1, March 8, March 15, March 22 and March 29) and second and fourth Saturday (March 14 and March 28).

Market holidays

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) will remain closed for trading on March 3, March 26 and March 31.