Bank holiday today: Are banks closed today, on July 14, on account of Beh Deinkhlam festival celebrations?
Thus, all public and private banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI), will be closed in Meghalaya and its capital Shillong, today.
Besides today, there are a number of other bank holidays this week, including Harela celebrations, the death anniversary of U Tirot Singh, Ker Puja, and weekly offs.
Notably, the second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays are weekly holidays for all banks; and there are a total of seven listed bank holidays in July this year.
The RBI and state governments create a list of holidays for banks, taking into account national and local occasions, operational requirements, religious celebrations and other cultural observances. The central bank makes the announcement through its official website and notifications to banks and other financial institutions. July 3 (Thursday) — Kharchi Puja — Banks will be closed in Agartala to celebrate Kharchi Puja, a Hindu festival in Tripura dedicated to fourteen deities called Chaturdasha Devata.
July 5 (Saturday) — Guru Hargobind's Birthday — Banks will be closed in Jammu and Srinagar to mark Guru Hargobind's Birthday, the sixth of the ten Sikh Gurus.
July 6 (Sunday) — Banks closed pan-India.
July 12 (Saturday) — Banks closed pan-India for second Saturday.
July 13 (Sunday) — Banks closed pan-India.
July 14 (Monday) — Beh Deinkhlam — Banks will be closed in Shillong for Beh Deinkhlam, a festival celebrated by the Jaintia tribe in Meghalaya.
July 16 (Wednesday) — Harela — Banks in Dehradun will be closed for Harela, a festival celebrated in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand and some parts of Himachal Pradesh.
July 17 (Thursday) — Death Anniversary of U Tirot Singh — Banks will remain shut in Shillong, marking the death anniversary of U Tirot Singh, one of the chiefs of the Khasi people.
July 19 (Saturday) — Ker Puja — Banks in Agartala will be closed for Ker Puja, a festival celebrated in Tripura. It is dedicated to Ker, the region's guardian deity, who protects from calamities and external threats.
July 20 (Sunday) — Banks closed pan-India.
July 26 (Saturday) — Banks closed pan-India for fourth Saturday.
July 27 (Sunday) — Banks closed pan-India.
July 28 (Monday) — Drukpa Tshe-zi — Banks in Gangtok will be closed for Drukpa Tshe-zi, a Buddhist festival that falls on the fourth day of the sixth month in the Tibetan lunar calendar. This day marks Lord Buddha's first sermon.
You can continue to use online or mobile banking services even on national holidays — unless notified to users for technical or other reasons. For cash emergencies, ATMs are open for withdrawals, app and UPI function as usual.
All of the bank's annual holiday calendar is declared by the RBI under provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which deals with the issuance of cheques and promissory notes. Transactions involving these instruments are thus not available during these listed holidays.
You should note that holidays may differ across states in India due to regional and local requirments. It is thus best to check with your local bank branch for their holiday schedule or list ahead of time to be properly informed and make preparations in case of emergencies or long weekends.
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