RBI Declares Bank Closures in 27 States for Oct 20‑23 Dussehra and Durga Puja

RBI released a notice on Oct 18 that banks in 27 states will be closed from Oct 20 to Oct 23 for Dussehra and Durga Puja. The list includes Tripura, Gujarat, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Assam, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, West Bengal, Delhi, Goa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier in the week, banks in 14 states were closed on Oct 19 for other festival observances, and on Oct 21 in seven states. The RBI also confirmed that the fourth Saturday, Oct 24, will be a holiday for all scheduled and non‑scheduled banks.

Despite branch closures, ATMs, UPI, internet, and mobile banking will remain functional, allowing customers to transfer funds, pay bills, and manage accounts. Services that require a physical branch—such as cheque clearing or demand drafts—will be delayed until the banks reopen.

A shop owner in Nagpur told reporters he had to postpone a cash deposit that was due for a loan payment because the branch was closed. The closure disrupted his liquidity plans and highlighted the impact on small businesses.

The RBI has not announced any extensions beyond Oct 23, and banks are expected to resume operations on Oct 24, except for the scheduled fourth‑Saturday holiday.