Bank holiday today: Are banks open or closed on 17 March in Jammu and Kashmir? Check RBI calendar

Bank holiday today, 17 March: Banks will be closed in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, 17 March for Shab-I-Qadr, according to the RBI bank holiday calendar.

Here is everything you need to know about the bank holiday today for Shab-I-Qadr.

Bank holiday today, 17 March

All public and private banks in Jammu and Kashmir will be closed today, including SBI, PNB, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and more. This is because Shab-I-Qadr is a public holiday in the region.

When are banks typically closed?

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 national and regional holidays, typical bank holidays include closures on the second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays of a month. Banks remain open on first, third and fifth Saturdays of every month.

Bank holiday on Saturday is designated as a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act by the RBI. This bank holiday regulates the issuing of cheques and promissory notes.

What is Shab-I-Qadr?

Shab-I-Qadr is celebrated in Islam. Also known as Laylatul Qadr or the ‘Night of Power’, it marks the holiest and most spiritually significant phase of the month of Ramadan. This year it falls on 17 March.

The day falls on the 27th night of the holy month of Ramadan. During the night of Shab-I-Qadr, devotees offer prayers to the Almighty and observe fasting from dawn to dusk. It is the most sacred night in Islam.

Remaining bank holidays in March

• March 19 – Banks will be closed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Srinagar for Gudhi Padwa, Ugadi Festival, Telugu New Year, Sajibu Nongmapanba (Cheiraoba), and 1st Navratra.
• March 20 – Bank holiday in Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Srinagar, and Andhra Pradesh due to Eid-Ul-Fitr (Ramzan) and Jumat-ul-Vida.
• March 21 – Banks will remain closed in Assam, Gujarat, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, West Bengal, Delhi, Goa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, and Srinagar to celebrate Ramzan-Id (Id-Ul-Fitr), Khutub-E-Ramzan, and Sarhul.
• March 26 – There is a bank holiday in Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Nagpur, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh for Shree Ram Navami.

Apart from these, banks will be closed on Sundays and the fourth Saturday according to the RBI bank holiday rules.

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

Online banking services remain available all thorough the year, even on bank holidays. This ensures seamless banking services on bank holidays. Customers can avail the online banking services for various purposes like UPI, money transfer, net banking, applying for online loan, requesting a chequebook and other such services.