India will see staggered bank closures across states through September, with a notable three-day stretch in many regions from 13–15 September due to the second Saturday, Sunday, and adjacent festival-linked holidays; the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) notified schedule lists around 15 holiday-affected dates overall this month, varying by location and observance.
Why it matters now
Banks will remain closed on the fixed second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays nationwide, while additional closures will apply for regional festivals such as Onam, Milad-un-Nabi, Indrajatra, Navratra Sthapna, and Durga Puja, creating a dense set of state-wise holidays that could disrupt in-branch services and cash-dependent transactions. The RBI’s holiday framework, based on the Negotiable Instruments Act and RTGS scheduling, allows states and union territories to observe local holidays, leading to a patchwork of closures through the month.
Bank Holidays in September
According to lists compiled from the RBI-notified calendar, September 2025 features roughly 15 bank holiday-affected dates across India, including weekends and region-specific festivals, with exact closures varying by city and state; customers are advised to check local notices before visiting branches. The period 13–15 September will be a three-day stretch in many places due to the second Saturday and Sunday, plus adjacent festival calendars in select regions, though the precise third-day holiday depends on local observances.
Key dates at a glance
- 3 September (Wed): Karma Puja – Ranchi, as per city-wise notices under the RBI holiday matrix referenced by national dailies.
- 4 September (Thu): First Onam – Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, per state-wise schedules aligned to Kerala’s festival calendar.
- 5 September (Fri): Milad-un-Nabi/Thiruvonam – closures across many major centres including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram, among others.
- 6 September (Sat): Milad-un-Nabi/Indrajatra – select locations including Srinagar, Jammu, Gangtok, and Raipur.
- 12 September (Fri): Friday following Eid-i-Milad – Jammu and Srinagar.
- 13 September (Sat): Second Saturday – nationwide.
- 14 September (Sun): Sunday – nationwide.
- 22 September (Mon): Navratra Sthapna – Jaipur.
- 23 September (Tue): Maharaja Hari Singh Ji’s Birthday – Jammu and Srinagar.
- 27 September (Sat): Fourth Saturday – nationwide.
- 28 September (Sun): Sunday – nationwide.
- 29 September (Mon): Maha Saptami/Durga Puja – Agartala, Gangtok, Kolkata and in some lists Guwahati.
- 30 September (Tue): Maha Ashtami/Durga Puja – multiple eastern and northeastern centres including Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, and Agartala, plus Jaipur, Imphal, Patna, and Ranchi.
What stays open
Digital channels—including Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), and Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)—continue to operate, with banks advising customers to use online and mobile platforms for routine transactions during closures, as noted by national business outlets summarising RBI guidance. Automated teller machines (ATMs) are expected to function, though cash replenishment could be slower around dense holiday blocks, especially over long weekends.
State-wise variation and planning
The RBI sets the framework for bank holidays, but state governments and regional banking committees coordinate observances, which is why Kerala sees multiple Onam-linked closures while eastern states cluster around Durga Puja later in the month, according to city-wise notices collated by major national publications. Customers planning branch-dependent services—such as locker access, over-the-counter cash services, or in-branch KYC updates—should schedule appointments outside the affected dates listed for their city.
Expert and official context
The “Holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act” structure empowers state-level observance while maintaining national systems continuity, as reflected in the RBI holiday matrix and banking operations handbooks reported by business media tracking the official schedule. Financial reporters note that while the total count is often described as “up to 15 days” in September, most customers will experience fewer local closures depending on city-specific calendars, beyond the fixed second and fourth Saturdays and Sundays.
In-depth list reference
Comprehensive lists published this week by leading news organisations detail the city-by-city dates, including Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Imphal, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Ranchi, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, and Vijayawada for the 5 September Milad-un-Nabi/Thiruvonam observance; readers should refer to those compilations for precise local applicability. Business press also highlights the late-September Durga Puja sequence in eastern India, leading to two consecutive working-day closures in several cities on 29–30 September.
Practical guidance
- Plan cash-intensive or in-branch tasks before the 13–15 September weekend and the 29–30 September Durga Puja period in affected cities.
- Use online banking, UPI, and IMPS for routine payments; expect standard settlement even on holidays for most digital rails, barring rare technical outages.
- Check local branch notices and state-wise lists, as actual closures differ by location and are not uniform nationwide.
Concluding paragraph
September brings a complex holiday calendar for banks across India, with closures concentrated around the 13–15 September weekend and the Durga Puja period in the East later in the month, while digital rails remain available for most transactions, according to compilations based on RBI scheduling and state notices. Customers should consult city-wise lists and plan branch visits in advance to avoid disruption to essential services.
