Bank holiday today: Are banks open or closed on 21 March for Eid? All you need to know

Bank holiday today: Banks in several parts of India will remain closed on 21 March, 2026, on account of Eid-al-Fitr, which is being observed in the country on Saturday. The holiday applies in major cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai and more.

The bank holiday today is scheduled as part of the RBI bank holiday calendar. Overall, there are 18 bank holidays in March, as per the RBI calendar, which was published at the beginning of this year.

Since bank holidays in India vary by state and are determined based on local festivals and observances, closures may not be uniform across the country. While branches in select cities will remain shut to mark Eid, others may continue operations as usual.

As per guidelines set by the Reserve Bank of India, all scheduled and non-scheduled banks shut operations pan-India on gazetted public holidays, along with the second and fourth Saturdays of every month and all Sundays.

Overall, there are 18 bank holidays in March, as per the RBI calendar, which was published at the beginning of this year.

Banks shut in these Indian cities today — full list

Bank holidays usually differ from region to region depending on the festivals and other occasions celebrated in the area.

Hence on the occasion of Eid, banks will be shut in 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, and Vijayawada.

Eid-ul-Fitr, also known as Meethi Eid, is being celebrated across India on March 21. The festival, which marks the end of Ramadan, is celebrated across the globe depending on the sighting of the crescent. Saudi Arabia and the UAE observed Eid on March 20, while Indonesia and Bangladesh will observe it on March 21.

Devotees start their day by offering morning prayers (Salat al-Eid). On this day, they offer Zakat al-Fitr to the needy, wear new clothes, feast with family, share sweets, visit loved ones, and exchange gifts, Eidi (token money) and greetings.

Will I be able to access online banking on bank holiday?

Customers are also advised to check with their local bank branches for exact holiday applicability. Meanwhile, essential banking services remain operational nationwide despite the physical branch closures.

If you are in urgent need to withdraw cash or send money on a bank holiday, you need not be worried. ATM services work round the clock, even during bank holidays. 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.