Bank holiday today: Are banks open or closed on 31 March for Mahavir Jayanti? All you need to know

Bank holiday today: Banks in several parts of India will remain closed on Tuesday, 31 March, on the account of Mahavir Jayanti. The holiday applies in major cities such as Ahmedabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata.

The bank holiday today is scheduled as part of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) bank holiday calendar, which is released at the beginning of every year.

According to the RBI calendar, March had a total of 18 bank holidays, including today, which marks the final holiday of the month. Bank holidays in India vary by state and are based on local festivals and observances.

As a result, bank closures are not uniform across the country. While branches in select cities will shut on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, others may continue to operate.

Under RBI guidelines, all scheduled and non-scheduled banks suspend operations pan-India on gazetted public holidays, as well as on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month and all Sundays.

Banks shut in these Indian cities today — full listBank holidays usually differ from region to region, depending on the festivals and other occasions celebrated in each area.

Hence, on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, banks will be shut in Ahmedabad, Belapur, Chennai, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Raipur, and Ranchi.

Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Mahavir, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism. It is one of the most important festivals in Jainism and inspires followers to lead a life of peace, self-discipline, and righteousness.