Punjab Govt Holidays 2026, Bank Holiday Calendar with Dates

The state of Punjab has a unique calendar for holidays. The bank holidays in these areas are influenced by Sikh history, the celebrations of the Gurpurabs of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, Baisakhi, and some other martyr commemorations that are not part of the majority state calendars.

Fixed one thing again, which is a cause of a lot of problems for people: Government offices are closed on every Saturday whereas banks are not. In Punjab banks are also closed on the same days as all over the country, that is on 2nd Saturday & 4th Saturday of every month. Your branch is open on a 1st, 3rd or 5th Saturday.

The following is a list of all the banks in Punjab likely to close their operations on a daily basis in 2026. 

Punjab bank holiday calendar 2026

Islamic dates (Eid-ul-Fitr, Bakrid) depend on the moon sighting and may move by a day. "Scope" shows whether a closure is Punjab-specific or part of the wider/national calendar.

Add to these every Sunday, and the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. The 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays are banking working days.

Not on this list, on purpose: Lohri, Basant Panchami, Karva Chauth, Anant Chaturdashi and several commemorative birthdays are restricted (optional) holidays in Punjab's gazette; they are not automatic bank closures, so branches generally stay open. Only the gazetted/general holidays above close banks.

What actually changes your week in Punjab

The main rule is the Saturday rule. State government staff stay home every Saturday, your bank does not. Note that the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays are regular working days, and that Eid-ul-Fitr (21 Mar) and Independence Day (15 Aug) this year fall on 3rd Saturdays (which are regular working days) and are therefore extra closures on days that a branch would normally be open.

Diwali is Monday 9th November. In 2026, Diwali will happen on Sunday 8 November which means branches are already closed. The gazette also closes banks on Monday 9 November (Vishwakarma / Govardhan Puja) and so, the branch closure during Diwali will become effective from that date and plan cash and cheques accordingly.

It is the Gurpurabs and martyrdom days that made the difference in Punjab. Like most of the other banks in India, banks in Punjab remain open on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Gurpurab (24 Nov), Guru Arjan Dev Ji's martyrdom (18 Jun), Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's martyrdom (14 Dec), Shaheed Udham Singh (31 Jul) and the Shaheedi Sabha at Fatehgarh Sahib (28 Dec). 

What stays open

Holidays close branch counters, cheque clearing (CTS) and NACH, not digital banking. NEFT and RTGS run 24×7, UPI and IMPS are always on, and ATMs dispense cash through every holiday subject to the machine being loaded. A holiday in the table stops an in-branch cash deposit, a demand draft or a cheque clearing, it does not stop an online transfer.

Who this list applies to

These are closures for bank branches in Punjab (RBI's Chandigarh centre), which follow the Government of Punjab's gazetted holiday notification. State government offices follow the same gazetted dates plus every Saturday; banks do not take the extra Saturdays. Restricted holidays are optional and not bank closures. Treat moon-dependent dates as provisional until confirmed locally, and note the Chief Minister can declare a small number of additional holidays during the year.

FAQs

Is it that banks in Punjab close every Saturday?
No. This is the most typical error. Punjab government offices are closed every Saturday while banks are closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, like the rest of India. On the 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays your branch is open for normal business.

What are the regional bank holidays in Punjab 2026?
The Punjab specific closures are for the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti (1 Feb), Guru Nabha Dass Ji's birthday (8 Apr), Vaisakhi (14 Apr), martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (18 Jun), Shaheed Udham Singh's martyrdom day (31 Jul), Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's birth day (14 Dec), martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev and Rajguru's martyrdom day (23 Mar), martyrdom day of Kartar Singh Sarabha (16 Nov), Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Gurpurab (24 Nov) and Shaheedi Sabha at Fatehgarh Sahib (28 Dec). The other days on which banks are closed in India are most of the same days.

What is the Date of Diwali Bank Holiday in Punjab?
The next Diwali celebration is on Sunday 8 November 2026, and although branches are already closed, they will remain closed for the major Diwali Festival on Tuesday 10 November. The bank holiday for Vishwakarma / Govardhan Puja is then Monday 9th, with the other banks in Punjab also closing that day.

Is Lohri a bank holiday in Punjab?
No. Lohri (13 January) is not a general holiday, it is a restricted holiday and therefore banks are generally open. This is also true of Basant Panchami, Karva Chauth and a few birthday celebrations.

Are there any online transfer holidays in Punjab?
NEFT, RTGS, UPI, IMPS and ATMs are all operational on bank holidays. All the services mentioned on the dates listed are suspended, except branch services, cash over the counter, demand drafts, pass book updation and cheque/CTS and NACH clearing.

Is Guru Nanak Gurpurab a Bank Holiday in India or is it just in Punjab?
Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji (24 November 2026) is a Bank Holiday in Punjab and few other states but not everywhere, some Banks will be open. It is an established closure of a branch in Punjab.