Most banks across India will remain closed on May 28, 2026, for Bakrid/Eid al-Adha, a gazetted public holiday. According to reports from Mint, the Centre declared May 28 as a public holiday in place of the earlier notified holiday on May 27. The personnel ministry announced on May 22 that central government administrative offices located at Delhi/New Delhi would remain closed on May 28, 2026, on account of Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid). The Telangana government also rescheduled the Eid holiday from May 27 to May 28, 2026, adding to the confusion over the holiday dates. Several religious bodies, including Imarat-e-Sharia Hind, along with clerics from Delhi's Jama Masjid and Fatehpuri Mosque, announced that Eid al-Adha would be celebrated on May 28 this year, following the sighting of the crescent moon and the beginning of the Islamic month of Zil Hijja on May 18.
Banks in major cities including Agartala, Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kochi, Kohima, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Shimla, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, and Vijayawada will remain closed on May 28, 2026, as per the latest RBI holiday calendar. However, banks in cities like Bhubaneswar, Gangtok, Itanagar, and Guwahati will stay open on May 28. All commercial banks are affected, including SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank, and other banks, along with small finance banks, regional banks, corporate banks and foreign banks. This follows the banks' closure on Friday, May 1, 2026, for May Day/Buddha Purnima, and upcoming closures on May 9 and May 23 for weekends. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) requires a bank holiday for Bakrid, just like it does for many other holidays, with state-specific holiday lists updated to confirm whether the closure will be held on the first or second day of the festival, dependent on moon sighting.
Despite physical branch closures, online banking services remain operational throughout the year, including on bank holidays, according to Mint reports. Customers can continue performing multiple tasks including UPI transactions, money transfers, net banking services, applying for loans online and requesting a chequebook without interruption. ATMs also remain operational during bank holidays, allowing customers to conduct cash transactions when bank branches are closed. Although physical bank branches remain shut in many regions, digital banking services continue to operate normally across the country, with customers able to access services such as mobile banking, internet banking, UPI payments, IMPS transfers and online fund transactions without interruption during the holiday period. The National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) systems are still available 24/7, including on holidays, since December 14, 2020, ensuring continuous cash transfer capabilities between banks. This facility, which enables cash transfers between banks, has been available on all days since 14 December 2020.
Bank holidays for Bakrid may differ across states depending on moon sighting, local government notifications, and regional observance dates, as reported by Mint. Since bank holidays in India vary from state to state, not all branches across the country observe the same closure schedule. The RBI holiday list changes depending on local festivals, religious observances and regional events. Customers are therefore advised to regularly check the official holiday calendar or contact their local branch before planning important banking activities. In some states, banks may remain closed on May 27, while others may observe the holiday on May 28. The RTGS and NEFT systems remain operational 24/7 since December 14, 2020, ensuring continuous cash transfer capabilities between banks. Before scheduling branch visits or significant banking transactions, consumers are recommended to examine the holiday calendar that applies in their individual states. From commercial banks, cooperative banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRB) and Small Finance Banks (SFB) to Local Area Banks (LAB) - all these banks follow a schedule of national and government holidays set by the RBI.
