Mumbai, March 4: Banks in several parts of India will remain closed on Wednesday, March 4, in observance of Holi and other related regional festivals. According to the official holiday calendar released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the second day of Holi festivities, including Dhuleti and Yaosang, will trigger branch closures in 21 cities including Agartala, Dehradun, Lucknow, and New Delhi, among others.

While digital banking services will remain fully operational, customers in the affected regions are advised to complete any necessary in-branch transactions before the end of business today. Bank Holidays in March 2026: Full State-Wise List of Holiday Dates.

Cities Where Banks Are Closed on March 4

The March 4 holiday applies to a significant portion of Northern, Eastern, and North-Eastern India. Banks will be shut places such as Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gangtok, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar, Jammu, Kanpur, Kohima, Lucknow, New Delhi, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong and Shimla.

In states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand, this marks a second or even third consecutive day of closures for many districts, following earlier observances of Holika Dahan and the first day of Holi.

Availability of Digital Banking Services on March 4

Despite the physical closure of bank branches, the RBI ensures that the country's financial infrastructure remains accessible through digital channels.

  • Operational Services: ATMs, UPI (Unified Payments Interface), Mobile Banking apps, and Net Banking portals will function 24/7.

  • Fund Transfers: Real-time fund transfers via IMPS and UPI will be available. While NEFT and RTGS are technically operational 24/7, some manual processing at the branch level for large-value transactions may face delays until the next working day.

  • Physical Services: Activities such as cash deposits, cheque clearances, and locker access will be unavailable in the cities listed above.

Regional Variation in Holi Dates

The staggered nature of bank holidays this week is due to regional differences in the Hindu lunar calendar. While 16 cities - including Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad - witnessed the Holi holiday on Tuesday, March 3, the remaining 21 cities are marking the main day of celebrations on Wednesday, March 4. The RBI categorises these holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, meaning that even though a branch is closed in Delhi, a branch in Mumbai or Bengaluru may be operating normally if the state government has not notified a holiday there for that specific date. Stock Market Holidays March 2026: Full List and Holiday Dates.

Planning for the Week Ahead

Following the Wednesday holiday, banks in most parts of the country will return to a regular schedule on Thursday, March 5. However, customers are reminded that March continues to be a high-holiday month, with further closures expected for Gudhi Padwa (March 19), Ram Navami (March 26) and Mahavir Jayanti (March 31).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2026 06:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).