Bank Holiday Today, March 21, 2026? Know If Banks Are Open or Closed This Saturday
Banks in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru will close on Saturday, March 21, 2026, for Eid-Ul-Fitr, despite it being a third Saturday. Digital services, ATMs, and UPI remain active. With the March 31 fiscal year-end nearing, customers are urged to finish in-person tasks by Friday or Monday to avoid the final week's rush.
Mumbai, March 21: Banking services across India will be partially restricted this weekend as Saturday, March 21, marks a scheduled holiday for several private and public sector institutions. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holiday calendar, banks will remain closed in several cities on Saturday for Ramzan-Id (Id-Ul-Fitr) (Shawal-1)/Khutub-E-Ramzan/Sarhul. While digital banking channels will remain fully operational, customers planning physical visits to branches are advised to verify local schedules, as holiday declarations vary significantly by state.
Why Banks Are Closed This Saturday, March 21
Under the current bipartite settlement between the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and bank unions, all scheduled banks in India observe a holiday on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. Since March 21 falls on the third Saturday, many branches would typically remain open; however, the RBI has declared March 21 as a holiday in several cities, such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Delhi, for Eid-Ul-Fitr. Is March 21 a Bank Holiday? Full List of Cities Observing Eid-Ul-Fitr Closures.
List of Cities Where RBI Has Declared Bank Holiday
RBI-designated March 21 bank holiday applies to Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, 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. That said, banks will remain open in Kochi, Shimla and Thiruvananthapuram today, March 21. The RBI categorises bank holidays into three brackets: Holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Holidays, and Banks’ Closing of Accounts.
Impact on Banking Services Due to March 21 Bank Holiday
While physical branch gates may be closed, the following services will remain unaffected:
- Mobile and Net Banking: Users can perform fund transfers via IMPS, NEFT, and RTGS without interruption.
- ATM Access: Cash withdrawal and deposit machines will continue to function, though high-traffic areas may see delays in cash replenishment.
- UPI Payments: Services like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm will operate normally for all retail transactions. Bank Holidays in March 2026: Full State-Wise List of Holiday Dates.
Planning for the Financial Year-End
With the current fiscal year ending on March 31, this weekend represents one of the final opportunities for taxpayers and businesses to complete in-person banking tasks. Following this Saturday, the final week of March is expected to see a surge in branch footfall. Customers requiring demand drafts, locker access, or specialised loan documentation are urged to complete these tasks by Friday evening or wait until Monday morning.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2026 06:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).