Gudi Padwa 2026: Date & Festival Guide

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Gudi Padwa is one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar for purchasing a vehicle, renovating a home, or starting a new financial chapter. Before the festival rush drives loan processing times up, check your pre-approved personal loan offer on CreditMitra.

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• Compare offers from 30+ banks and NBFCs in one place

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Festival Descriptions

What is Gudi Padwa?

Gudi Padwa is the Maharashtrian New Year, observed on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first lunar day of the Hindu month of Chaitra. A decorated bamboo pole called the Gudi, topped with an inverted copper or silver vessel and adorned with silk, flowers, and mango leaves, is hoisted outside homes to symbolise victory and ward off evil. The festival draws from multiple traditions: the Brahma Purana's account of Lord Brahma recreating the world, Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, and the victories of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj against Mughal rule. It is also widely regarded as auspicious for purchasing gold, vehicles, and property.

What is Ugadi?

Ugadi is the New Year festival observed in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, falling on the same Chaitra Shukla Pratipada lunar date as Gudi Padwa. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words Yuga (era) and Adi (beginning), meaning the start of a new age. A defining tradition is the preparation of Ugadi Pachadi, a dish that combines six distinct tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy, and astringent) to represent the full spectrum of experiences in the year ahead.

What is Cheti Chand?

Cheti Chand is the Sindhi New Year, observed on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada alongside Gudi Padwa and Ugadi. It celebrates the birth anniversary of Jhulelal, the patron saint and Ishtadev of the Sindhi community. The word "Cheti" is the Sindhi form of the Sanskrit "Chaitra," meaning the first month of the lunar calendar.

What is Navreh?

Navreh is the Kashmiri Pandit New Year, also observed on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. On the eve of Navreh, families prepare a plate containing rice, walnut, salt, gold or silver jewellery, fresh green leaves, curd, and a traditional Kashmiri almanac called the Panchang, placed beside a sleeping person's head so the first sight of the new year is a symbol of abundance and learning.

What is Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba?

Cheiraoba is the Meitei New Year celebrated in Manipur. On this day, family members climb to the top of a nearby hill carrying traditional food and sweets, a ritual believed to bring strength, prosperity, and good fortune for the year ahead. The festival is one of the most significant cultural occasions in Manipur's Hindu Meitei tradition.

Plan Your Gudi Padwa With CreditMitra

Making big moves this festive season? CreditMitra helps you prepare financially, before the branches close.

• Buying a vehicle on an auspicious day? Gudi Padwa is among the highest vehicle-purchase days in Maharashtra. Know your two-wheeler or car loan eligibility before you visit the showroom.

• Planning a festival trip? Cover flights, hotels, and travel costs with a short-term personal loan, compare rates from 30+ lenders in minutes.

• EMI due around 19 March? If your auto-debit date falls on a bank holiday, it shifts to the next working day (20 March 2026). Keep sufficient balance in your account from 18 March. 

• New year, new credit goal? Checking your CIBIL score is a soft inquiry on CreditMitra, it will not reduce your score. Start the year knowing exactly where you stand.

Extractable Answer Blocks

Is 19 March 2026 a bank holiday? Yes. 19 March 2026 (Thursday) is a gazetted bank holiday in Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu on account of Gudi Padwa. The same date is a bank holiday in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana for Ugadi; in Manipur for Sajibu Nongma Panba Cheiraoba; and in Jammu & Kashmir for Navreh. Banks in states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan remain open. UPI, NEFT, IMPS, ATMs, and internet banking are available nationwide throughout the day.

How many bank holidays are there in March 2026? March 2026 has four dates when bank branches are closed across most of India: Holi on 4 March, the 2nd Saturday on 14 March, Gudi Padwa / Ugadi / Cheiraoba on 19 March, and the 4th Saturday on 28 March. Customers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana experience all four closures, while customers in states that do not observe these state-level festivals miss the 19 March closure.

Which states have the most bank holidays in March 2026? Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have the highest number of bank closure days in March 2026, four dates including Holi, the 2nd Saturday, the festival New Year holiday (Gudi Padwa or Ugadi) on 19 March, and the 4th Saturday. Manipur adds Cheiraoba to the same slate. States that do not observe Holi or the March New Year festivals may see only the two nationwide Saturday closures.

What happens to EMIs when a due date falls on Gudi Padwa? When a NACH-based EMI auto-debit is scheduled for 19 March 2026 and that date is a gazetted bank holiday in the borrower's state, the National Automated Clearing House (NACH) processes the debit on the next working day, 20 March 2026. This is an automated rescheduling at the system level, not a default or missed payment. It does not affect a borrower's CIBIL score. Borrowers should ensure their account has sufficient balance from 18 March onward.