RBI Declares Bank Holiday Across Nine Regions On November 9 For Diwali Festivities

Commercial bank branches across nine states and union territories shuttered counters on Monday, November 9, 2026, as regional holidays for Diwali festivities took effect under Reserve Bank of India directives. Physical tellers stood closed. The institutional shutdown halted physical cash processing, localized clearing operations, and branch-level administrative transactions across designated territories celebrating Laxmi Puja, Govardhan Pooja, and Vishwakarma Day.

But the shutdown is strictly regional. While physical desks across northern, central, and northeastern circles suspended operations, banking networks across premier commercial hubs—including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai—opened for regular business hours. The central bank notifies these closures under the Negotiable Instruments Act, which empowers state administrations and localized RBI offices to align statutory banking suspensions with regional festival calendars.

State-Wise Branch Closures and Operational Hubs

Central bank schedules show that Monday's operational pause affected nine distinct municipal circles and state capitals. Branches in Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh suspended physical desk transactions for the day. Identical closures halted service counters in Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

Retail depositors in the affected districts faced locked branch gates on Monday morning. Yet electronic transaction networks—encompassing Unified Payments Interface (UPI), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), and Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)—maintained round-the-clock clearance across all public and private sector lenders. Standalone Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and digital banking apps functioned without interruption.

Normal branch-counter operations, localized cheque clearing, and currency chest activities across all nine notified circles resume on Tuesday, November 10.