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Are Banks Open Today, 31 October 2026? The Fifth-Saturday Rule and November's Holiday List

Banks are open on Saturday, 31 October 2026, because it is the fifth Saturday of the month, except in Gujarat, which marks Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday. Here is how the Saturday rule works and which dates in November are bank holidays in which states.

By Tarjan Khatri · · 2 min read

Reserve Bank of India building seen from a tree-lined street (Wikimedia Commons photo by Paul Hamilton, 2014)
Reserve Bank of India building (Reserve Bank of India building, photographed in February 2014; hero image licensed CC BY-SA 2.0). Photo: Paul Hamilton / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Not photos from this event.

What happened

"Is the bank open today?" became one of India's top searches on Saturday morning, and the answer is mostly yes. Saturday, 31 October 2026, is the fifth Saturday of the month, and banks are open on first, third and fifth Saturdays, The Economic Times reported.

The one exception is Gujarat, as Mint and The Economic Times reported. The date is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday, which appears on the Reserve Bank of India's holiday calendar for 31 October, so branches in that state are closed.

Why people are searching

  • The Saturday rule confuses people. All banks close on the second and fourth Saturdays. The first and third Saturdays are working days, but a fifth Saturday comes only a few times a year, so many people are unsure.
  • Festive season. With Diwali, Chhath Puja and Guru Nanak Jayanti in November, customers want to plan branch visits, cheque deposits and cash withdrawals in advance.

How the November list looks

According to Business Standard and Upstox, both citing the RBI calendar, festival closures in November 2026 are state-specific:

  • 9 November: Diwali, Laxmi Puja and Govardhan Puja in states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Chhattisgarh.
  • 10 November: Bali Pratipada and Vikram Samvat New Year in states including Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
  • 11 November: Bhai Dooj and related festivals in states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.
  • 13 and 23 November: Wangala Festival and Seng Kut Snem in Meghalaya.
  • 16 November: Chhath Puja in Bihar and Jharkhand.
  • 20 November: Igas-Bagwal in Uttarakhand.
  • 24 November: Guru Nanak Jayanti and Kartika Purnima in a long list of states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
  • 27 November: Kanakadasa Jayanthi in Karnataka.

Every bank in the country is also closed on 14 and 28 November (second and fourth Saturdays) and on all Sundays.

A note on conflicting lists

Not every outlet's table matches. Business Standard, for example, also lists Uttarakhand for 10 November, while Upstox adds a 2 November closure in Meghalaya for the Nongkrem Dance. The safest check is the RBI's own holiday page, which lets you pick your state and month.

Digital banking keeps running

Branch holidays do not stop UPI payments, internet and mobile banking, or ATM withdrawals, which work as usual on closed days, according to the reports above. Cheque clearing and branch-only services, however, wait for the next working day.

What comes next

The next nationwide Saturday closure is 14 November. Before then, check whether your state is closed on any of the Diwali days from 9 to 11 November.

Timeline

  1. 31 Oct (Sat)Fifth Saturday: banks open, except in Gujarat (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday).
  2. 9–11 NovDiwali-related closures in different states on different days.
  3. 14 Nov (Sat)Second Saturday: banks closed nationwide.
  4. 16 NovChhath Puja: Bihar and Jharkhand.
  5. 24 NovGuru Nanak Jayanti and Kartika Purnima: closures in many states.
  6. 28 Nov (Sat)Fourth Saturday: banks closed nationwide.

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What to know next

  • Check your own state on the RBI's official holiday page before a branch visit; closures differ from state to state.
  • Plan cheque deposits and cash needs around 9–11 November, when Diwali closures fall in different regions.
  • News outlets' November tables do not all match, so treat the RBI calendar as the final word.

Sources & credits

  1. Reserve Bank of India — Holidays (holiday matrix)
  2. The Economic Times — Saturday bank holiday: Are banks open or closed today on October 31, 2026?
  3. Business Standard — Bank holidays in November 2026: Check state-wise list of closures in India
  4. Upstox — Bank holidays in November 2026: Check when branches will remain shut in your state
  5. Mint — Why are banks closed in Gujarat today, despite it being 5th Saturday?
  6. Google Trends India — daily trending searches

Hero photo credit: Reserve Bank of India building — Paul Hamilton / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped/arranged; faces unaltered.

Written in our own words from the reports above; short quotes are credited. Spotted an error? See our fact-check policy and corrections.

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