Eid Ul Fitr 2026: eid ul fitr 2026 dates and bank holidays in March
eid ul fitr 2026 falls amid a packed March calendar that affects students, government employees and bank operations. Authorities and the central bank list festival and weekly closures across March, with multiple overlapping dates for Holi, Gudhi Padwa/Ugadi, Ramzan and Ram Navami.
Total March holiday tally for 2026
Students and government employees will have a total of 10 holidays in March, a month that notably contains five Sundays. The Sundays fall on March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Second and fourth Saturdays are on March 14 and March 28, and March 14 is also listed as a holiday as the second Saturday.
Holi and early March closures
Holi appears on the calendar at the start of the month, with dates noted for March 3 and March 4. The month is said to kick off with Holi on March 3, which will see banks closed in a majority of states, even as some schedules list Holi observances on March 4 in other areas.
Eid Ul Fitr 2026 bank closures
eid ul fitr 2026 is expected around March 20 or March 21, subject to the Shawwal crescent moon sighting, and Ramzan closure plans reflect that uncertainty. The bank schedule lists Eid-ul-Fitr on March 20 and March 21 in some entries, while other notices state the holiday may be declared on March 20 depending on the crescent moon. Banks are set to be closed on those Eid dates alongside other festival closures.
Agency banks and March 31 operations
The central bank released a comprehensive schedule on February 23 in Mumbai and listed 11 official bank holidays in March. In a directive tied to the end of the financial year, all Agency Banks are instructed to remain open on March 31 to facilitate closing government accounts for the 2025–26 fiscal year. March 31 is also observed as Mahavir Jayanti in many regions and is noted as an optional holiday; branches that handle government receipts, payments and tax collections will maintain regular operations on that day.
Regional festivals and state closures
Regional observations on March 19 include Gudhi Padwa (Gudi Padwar) and Ugadi, which will lead to closures in states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. March 19 is specifically listed for Ugadi in some schedules. Ram Navami and Sri Rama Navami are listed for March 26 and are part of the holiday sequence for the month.
Digital services and physical limits
While physical branches will be inaccessible on listed holidays, the central bank confirms that digital banking services including UPI, IMPS and ATMs will remain functional. Mobile banking apps, net banking and NEFT are expected to continue processing transactions instantly. Physical services such as locker access, demand draft issuance and manual passbook updates will resume only on the next working day.
Banks will also remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays and on all Sundays, a pattern that is listed as bringing the total number of bank holiday days in March 2026 to 18 when weekly closures are counted with the official holidays. Customers are advised to plan branch visits early to avoid delays in services such as cheque clearances and document submissions.
Overall, the month blends a 10-holiday schedule for students and government employees with an 11-day official bank holiday list and additional weekend closures, producing a concentrated period of festival-related and weekly interruptions across March.
