Bank Holiday Today: Are banks closed or open on March 17? Check the full RBI holiday list

Bank Holiday on March 17, 2026: Banks will stay closed in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, March 17, as of the Shab-I-Qadr or Shab-E-Qadr holiday, which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) designated in its holiday schedule. The Union Territory observes the day as a public holiday and all schools, colleges, government offices and banking services will remain closed to celebrate the religious event.

What is Shab-I-Qadr?

Shab-I-Qadr, Shab-e-Qadr, or Laylatul Qadr (The Night of Power/Decree), is the holiest night in Islam, occurring within the last ten odd nights of Ramadan. It commemorates the Quran's first revelation to Prophet Muhammad and is considered better than a thousand months of worship. Muslims spend this night in intense prayer, Quran recitation, and repentance to seek mercy.

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RBI Holiday Categories

The RBI categorises bank holidays into three main types:

1) Holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act–These affect cheque clearing and branch-based banking services at the national or state level.

2) RTGS Holidays–Days when Real Time Gross Settlement transactions are not processed through bank branches.

3) Bank Closing of Accounts–Typically observed on April 1 for annual account closing.

Do online banking services remain available?

Yes, despite physical branches being closed, digital and online banking services remain fully operational.

24/7 Availability: RTGS, NEFT, UPI and internet banking services operate continuously throughout the holidays. Customers can use the digital banking services to transfer funds, pay bills and shop online at any hour of the day, including Sundays, second and fourth Saturdays and on official bank holidays.

Transaction Processing: Digital transactions reach completion in less than one minute or within thirty minutes in most situations. When a user performs a payment through mobile banking or internet banking, the transaction will process without any delays during holidays.

Branch Limitations: Physical bank branches have restrictions, while digital channels enable users to access all services without interruptions. Bank branches will not process RTGS transactions that customers initiate at the branch during holidays or during the second and fourth Saturdays when the branch remains closed. The bank only processes transactions that customers submit through its online digital platforms during these specific times.

Bank Holiday List for March 2026

Several bank holidays are scheduled later in the month across different cities due to regional festivals and religious observances:

March 19: Gudhi Padwa / Ugadi Festival / Telugu New Year

Belapur, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Mumbai, Nagpur, Panaji, Srinagar, Vijayawada

March 20: Eid-Ul-Fitr / Ramzan / Jumat-ul-Vida

Jammu, Kochi, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada

March 21: Ramzan-Id / Id-Ul-Fitr

Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Itanagar, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kohima, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Srinagar

March 26: Shree Ram Navami

Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Itanagar, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ranchi, Shimla

March 27: Shree Ram Navami (Chaite Dasain)

Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Panaji, Vijayawada

March 31: Mahavir Janmakalyanak / Mahavir Jayanti

Ahmedabad, Belapur, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi

Bank closures on these dates will depend on regional festival observances in specific cities.