Bank holiday today, 27 March: All public and private lenders will be open today across India even as some states continue celebrating Ram Navami on 27 March.
The bank holiday calendar is notified at the beginning of every year by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which all branches of all banks across India must adhere to. According to the RBI bank holiday calendar, there is no bank holiday on the occasion of Ram Navami on 27 March.
Here is everything you need to know about bank holiday in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities on 27 March.
Is there a Bank Holiday on Ram Navami?
No, there is no bank holiday on 27 March on the occasion of Ram Navami.
The bank holiday on Ram Navami was granted by the RBI on 26 March. On that occasion, banks in many cities were closed yesterday. Those included Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, and Shimla.
When is Ram Navami?
Ram Navami is being celebrated in India across two days on 26 March and 27 March. However, the Ram Navami bank holiday was observed on only 27 March.
Ram Navami marks the birth of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu and a central figure in the Hindu epic Ramayana. The festival is observed with prayers, fasting, and devotional activities across the country.
When is the next bank holiday?
The next bank holiday falls on 28 March due to the Saturday week off. After that, the next bank holiday is scheduled on 29 March for the Sunday bank holiday. There is no other bank holiday in March.
The RBI categorises all bank holidays into three parts, namely, Negotiable Instruments Act, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) holidays and banks’ closing of accounts.
Bank holidays vary from region to region depending upon the festivals and observances there. However, all banks observe holidays on national holidays like Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti.
Apart from the regional and national holidays, banks across India remain closed on all Sundays, and the second and fourth Saturdays, as per RBI norms. Banks remain open on first, third and fifth Saturdays of all months.
March has 18 bank holidays including the weekly offs.
Will I be able to access online banking on bank holiday?
If you are in urgent need to withdraw cash or send money on a bank holiday, you need not be worried. ATM services work 24×7, despite bank holidays, if you need to withdraw cash, get a statement or any other requirement. To send money on a bank holiday, online banking services like NEFT, IMPS and RTGS are available.
Apart from this, you can use UPI services on bank holidays to send and receive money as they are functional even on these days. Bank holidays only see suspension of banking operations that require a physical visit to the branch, like encashing a cheque.
Even as essential banking services remain open on a bank holiday, customers are advised to check with their local bank branches for exact holiday applicability.
