Durga Puja marks a busy holiday season every year, and 2025 is no exception. Banks in several states will shut on different days between September 29 and October 5 for Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, Vijayadashami (Dussehra), and Gandhi Jayanti. Since India observes a mix of national and regional holidays, the exact dates vary by city and state. That means one branch may be closed while another city remains fully operational. Digital channels, however, continue to operate as usual.
What’s closed, where, and when
- September 29 (Monday): Banks in Agartala, Kolkata, and Guwahati are closed for Maha Saptami, the seventh day of Durga Puja. This day typically sees heavy footfall at the pandals and local festivities, so plan branch visits before or after.
- September 30 (Tuesday): More cities join the list for Maha Ashtami/Durga Ashtami. Expected closures include Agartala, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Imphal, Jaipur, Kolkata, Patna, and Ranchi. This is one of the peak festival days in the east and northeast, and crowds tend to swell near major thoroughfares.
- October 1 (Wednesday): Several states observe holidays for Dussehra, Ayudha Pooja, and Durga Puja. These include Tripura, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Kerala. If a branch-only task is pending, try not to leave it for this day.
- October 2 (Thursday): Nationwide closure for Gandhi Jayanti, which often coincides with Vijayadashami/Dussehra in many places. Expect all branches across India to remain shut.
- October 3–4 (Friday–Saturday): Sikkim observes Durga Puja (Dasain) holidays across these two days. Please note that the second and fourth Saturdays are standard closures; check the calendar to avoid any surprises.
- October 5 (Sunday): Banks are closed nationwide due to the weekly holiday.
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Why the pattern varies
India’s banking calendar blends central notifications with state-level gazettes. Durga Puja is celebrated under different names across regions—Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami, Ayudha Pooja, Vijaya Dashami, Dussehra, and Dasain—so holiday declarations reflect local traditions. National closures, such as Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, apply nationwide, while state-specific days align with regional observances.
Will banking services be affected?
Branch counters won’t operate on listed holidays, which can delay certain requests and large-value transfers that need in-branch support. That said, most retail services continue without interruption:
- Online and mobile banking: Balance checks, UPI payments, fund transfers, bill payments, and service requests remain available.
- NEFT and RTGS: These services are generally enabled 24/7; however, large-value transfers may still face cutoffs depending on bank policy and operational windows. If timing is critical, initiate a few hours earlier.
- ATMs and cards: Withdrawals, POS transactions, and e-commerce transactions continue to function as normal. Near busy markets and pandals, machines can run low on cash; try early hours or less-crowded locations.
Practical planning tips
- Confirm city-specific branch closures before visiting. The list is regional, and the practice of “closed here, open there” is common during Puja week.
- Finish branch-only tasks—like locker access, demand drafts, KYC updates, or high-value cash transactions—a day or two in advance.
- For businesses, schedule payrolls and vendor runs ahead of the holiday cluster. If multiple sign-offs are needed, align approvals early to avoid bottlenecks.
- Keep two payment modes ready. UPI is reliable, but having a backup card or a small cash buffer is helpful when networks are congested.
- Travelers should map ATMs near hotels and pandal routes, and save digital copies of tickets and receipts offline.
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Quick checklist
- Check the local bank status for September 29 to October 5.
- Move branch-dependent work forward by 48 hours.
- Test logins for net banking and UPI, and update app limits as needed.
- Queue time-sensitive payments (EMIs, salaries, invoices) a day earlier.
- Keep a modest cash reserve, especially if attending major pandals or traveling.
In short, Durga Puja week in 2025 brings staggered bank closures centered on September 29 (Maha Saptami in select cities), September 30 (Maha Ashtami in multiple states), October 1 (regional Dussehra/Ayudha Pooja observance), a nationwide shutdown on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti), continued regional holidays in Sikkim on October 3–4, and the standard Sunday closure on October 5. With digital channels running and a little planning, most day-to-day banking carries on smoothly.
