Bank Holidays in West Bengal 2026, Full List with Dates

Holidays are published in West Bengal as an order issued by the Finance Department which contains two sets: holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act and the bank holidays; and a longer list of additional government holidays which are applicable to state offices only and not to banks. Kolkata is the regional centre of RBI for the state.

The distinction is most important here as opposed to nearly anywhere else because of Durga Puja. West Bengal offices close for a long Puja while banks don't. The extended Puja days of Bank branches (Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Dasami 19-21 October) are not bank holidays. The second surprise this year is that both Kali Puja (Diwali) and Lakshmi Puja are Sunday days, meaning that both WB banks don't get an additional weekday holiday.

Here is the list of all the days when West Bengal bank branches are likely to be closed in 2026. 

West Bengal bank holiday calendar 2026

Islamic dates (Eid-ul-Fitr, Bakrid, Muharram) depend on the moon sighting and may move by a day. "Scope" shows whether a closure is West Bengal–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 bank holidays, despite being state-office holidays: Holi (4 Mar), Durga Puja Chaturthi–Panchami–Shashthi (15–17 Oct), the Puja "additional days" (22–23 Oct), Lakshmi Puja additional day (26 Oct), and the Kali Puja additional days (9–10 Nov). West Bengal government offices close on these; bank branches stay open.

What actually changes your week in West Bengal

The Durga Puja bank closure is less than the office holiday. In banks there are holidays on Monday 19, Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October (Ashtami, Nabami and Dasami). With the Sunday before (18 Oct), that's a four-day run from the 18th. Shashthi (Saturday 17 Oct) is a 3rd, working, Saturday, hence banks are open on this date although many offices remain closed; banks reopen on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October. Next Saturday 24 Oct is a 4th Saturday (Closed) and Sunday 25 Oct is Lakshmi Puja. If possible, receive any salary advances, cash and cheques before the 17th.

It's a quiet day at the bank counter this year during the Diwali season. Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday 25 Oct 2026 and Kali Puja / Diwali is on Sunday 8 Nov 2026. The additional days declared by the state on Monday (26 Oct, 9 – 10 Nov) are government-office days, not bank holidays, and thus West Bengal banks will NOT have an extra weekday holiday for Diwali or Lakshmi Puja. Branches will be open on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November.

Dol is not Holi, Bengal is closed. This means that the bank holiday is celebrated on Tuesday 3 March followed by the government-office holiday on the 4th, which is the opposite of the celebration pattern in the North of India.

Two Sat. festivals don't give you another Sat. Rabindra Jayanti (9 May) and Mahalaya (10 Oct) are both on the 2nd Saturday, which is already a bank holiday, so there's no additional day off. In comparison Eid-ul-Fitr (21 Mar) and Independence Day (15 Aug) are both on 3rd Saturdays and are indeed extra closures. 

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. So even across the Puja closure, online transfers and ATM withdrawals keep working; only in-branch services, cash over the counter, demand drafts, passbook updates, and cheque/CTS and NACH clearing pause.

Who this list applies to

These are closures for bank branches in West Bengal (RBI's Kolkata centre), taken from the state's Negotiable Instruments Act holiday list (List-I of the Finance Department order). The longer state-office holiday list (List-II), including the extended Durga Puja days, does not apply to banks. Sectional holidays (e.g. Easter Saturday for Christians, Hul Diwas for the Santhal community) and any "to be notified later" items are not general bank closures. Treat moon-dependent dates as provisional until confirmed.

FAQs

For how many days will the banks be closed during Durga Puja in West Bengal in 2026?
The branches are closed for three days, Monday 19 October to Wednesday 21 October (Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami, Dasami). Including the previous Sunday, there are thus four days' holiday from the 18th. Shashthi (Saturday 17 October) is a working Saturday, and banks resume work on Thursday 22 October, while the state government offices remain closed longer.

Why does the government office holiday for Puja in Bengal extend longer than banks?
While the extension of Puja days (Chaturthi, Panchami, Shashthi and "additional days") is notified as a government holiday by West Bengal under List-II of the order of the Finance Department, banks observe only List-I (Negotiable Instruments Act), which covers only Ashtami, Nabami and Dasami.

Are there any additional bank holidays for Kali Puja or Diwali in 2026 in West Bengal?
None. Kali Puja / Diwali comes on Sunday 8 November 2026, when banks will be closed anyway, while the "additional days" that the state adds are holidays for state government offices, and not bank holidays. The banks will be open on 9–10 November. Lakshmi Puja (25 Oct) is a Sunday.

Is there a bank holiday in West Bengal on Holi?
No. While the bank holiday will be Doljatra (Dol) on 3 March, Holi on 4 March is a state-government office holiday only, and the banks will be open on the 4th.

What are the bank holidays specifically for West Bengal?
The bank holidays specific to West Bengal are: Swami Vivekananda's Birthday (12 January), Saraswati Puja with Netaji's Birthday (23 January), Doljatra (3 March), Bengali New Year / Poila Boishakh (15 April), Rabindra Jayanti (9 May), Mahalaya (10 October), Durga Puja (19-21 October) and Bhai Phonta (11 November).

Will the West Bengal bank holidays disrupt online transactions?
No. NEFT, RTGS, UPI, IMPS and ATMs will continue to operate on bank holidays, including Durga Puja. The services at branch level and cheque / CTS and NACH clearing cease on the dates specified.