Chhath Puja 2024 Bank Holidays: Banks Closed For 4 Days In These States

Banks in various states will remain closed for four consecutive days this week due to Chhath Puja 2024 and weekend. Banks will be closed for a total of 13 days in November including eight holidays under the Negotiable Instrument Act and regular closures on second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays. The Reserve Bank of India has released the schedule for these holidays with key closures coming up this week in many parts of the country. 

So if you are planning to visit bank branches for work, it is advisable to check the holiday calendar for your state. This will facilitate better planning and any last-minute rush for important work. 

Banks will remain closed on November 7 and 8 on account of Chhath Puja in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. Banks will remain shut on November 9 (the second Saturday of the month) and November 10 (Sunday). This effectively makes it a four-day long weekend in these states. 

However, it must be noted that these holidays will only impact in-person banking services. Customers can continue to use digital banking services like UPI payments, ATM services and internet banking without disruption.

November 7, Thursday: Banks will remain closed in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal for Chhath Puja evening Arghya.

November 8, Friday: Banks will remain closed in Bihar and Jharkhand for Chhath Puja morning Arghya. Banks will also be closed in Meghalaya for Wangala Festival on this day.

Chhath Puja is one of the key Hindu festivals, mainly observed in Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Devotees pray to the Sun God and offer ‘Arghya’ to the rising sun standing in rivers or ponds as an expression of purity and gratitude. 

Reserve Bank of India broadly classifies bank holidays into three categories – holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, real-time gross settlement (RTGS) holidays and bank account-closing holidays. In addition, banks are closed on every second and fourth Saturday of each month.

Bank holidays on account of festivals vary from state to state.