Long weekend warning: Holidays and Janmashtami celebrations 2024

Attention long weekend: Due to a number of public holidays, there will be a long weekend from Saturday 24 August to Monday 26 August. The weekend begins with a public holiday on Saturday 24 August. This is followed by Sunday 25 August, a normal weekend day.

Monday, August 26, is Janmashtami, a major Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna. For this reason, banks and many shops may also be closed on this day.

24 – 26 August: Long weekend (public holiday)

Holiday on 24 August (Saturday): This is the fourth Saturday of the month. As with the usual bank holidays, banks across the country are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays.

Holiday on 25 August (Sunday): A nationwide weekend day. Most businesses, including banks, are closed on Sundays.

Holiday on 26 August (Monday): This day is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami, a major Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the god Krishna.

During the long weekend from August 24 to 26, banks will be closed in several states including Gujarat, Orissa, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh and Srinagar. This closure is in connection with the fourth Saturday of the month and Krishna Janmashtami on August 26.

However, banks remain open in states like Tripura, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, New Delhi and Goa.

Customers should be aware that holidays vary by state and regional requirements. To avoid last-minute confusion and effectively handle emergencies, it is advisable to check the complete list of holidays at your nearest bank branch.

In India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) oversees the determination of bank holidays, which are categorised as follows:

Holidays in the Negotiable Instruments Act: On these days, regulations apply to negotiable securities such as checks and promissory notes. Certain banking transactions involving these securities may not be possible on these days.

Real-time gross settlement (RTGS) holidays: These are days when banks are closed for RTGS transactions, which allow instant money transfers between banks.

Days of account closure: Each bank sets certain days for internal processes, such as account reconciliation or annual closing. Banks may be closed on these days for these purposes.