October 2026 is India’s single most holiday-heavy month of the year. Gandhi Jayanti gives every Indian a national bank holiday on the very first Friday. Navratri and Durga Puja dominate the next two weeks. Dussehra shuts banks across India on 20 October. Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti closes banks in northern states on 26 October. And the Diwali countdown begins before the month even ends. Add two bank-closed Saturdays, four Sundays, and the Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami closures in eastern states — and some states end up with fewer than 16 clean branch-banking days in a 31-day month.
The financial sting is in the sequencing. Gandhi Jayanti (2 October) is a Friday — creating an immediate 3-day weekend. The 2nd Saturday (10 October) and Sunday (11 October) flow directly into Navratri week and the Durga Puja Maha Ashtami cluster (18–19 October) in eastern states. Dussehra (20 October, Tuesday) then interrupts the third week. And the 4th Saturday (24 October) combines with Lakshmi Puja and Valmiki Jayanti (26 October) to create another 3-day banking gap in the fourth week.
This guide gives you the complete, verified list of bank holidays in October 2026 — national, state-wise, and festival-specific — so you can plan every payroll run, GST payment, and property registration without being caught off guard during India’s most celebratory month.
National Holiday Alert: Gandhi Jayanti — 2 October 2026
All banks across India are closed on 2 October 2026.
Gandhi Jayanti is one of India’s three mandatory national gazetted holidays. It applies to every state, every bank, and every union territory without exception. In 2026 it falls on a Friday — creating a 3-day weekend (Friday–Saturday–Sunday, 2–4 October) right at the start of the month. Any employer running salary NEFT on the 2nd of each month must shift processing to Thursday 1 October.
At a Glance: October 2026 Bank Holiday Numbers
| Days in October 2026 | 31 |
| Sundays | 4 (4, 11, 18, 25 October) |
| Bank Saturdays closed | 2 (10 Oct — 2nd Saturday; 24 Oct — 4th Saturday) |
| National gazetted holidays | 1 (Gandhi Jayanti — 2 October, Friday) |
| Major festival bank closures | Dussehra (20 Oct), Maha Ashtami/Navami (18–19 Oct, select states), Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti (26 Oct, select states) |
| GSTR-3B due date (monthly filers, Sep) | 20 October 2026 (Tuesday) |
| Advance tax Q3 due date | 15 December 2026 |
| Total closure days (varies by state) | 10–16 |
Master Bank Holiday Calendar — October 2026
| Date | Day | Holiday / Observance | Type | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti / Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday | All India |
| 4 Oct | Sunday | Weekend closure | Weekend | All India |
| 10 Oct | Saturday | 2nd Saturday — Bank closed | Bank Holiday | All India |
| 11 Oct | Sunday | Weekend closure | Weekend | All India |
| 18 Oct | Sunday | Weekend closure / Maha Ashtami (eastern states) | Weekend | All India (WB, OD, AS: Durga Puja) |
| 19 Oct | Monday | Maha Navami / Navratri Ashtami / Durga Puja | Public Holiday | WB, OD, AS, BR, JH, TG, other eastern states |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami / Dasara / Durga Puja (Vijaya Dashami) | Public Holiday | Most states (see state-wise) |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | Durga Puja (Ekadashi) / Dussehra (2nd day — select states) | Public Holiday | West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Tripura, Sikkim |
| 24 Oct | Saturday | 4th Saturday — Bank closed | Bank Holiday | All India |
| 25 Oct | Sunday | Weekend closure | Weekend | All India |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti / Lakshmi Puja (eastern states) | Public Holiday | HP, PB, HR, UP, CG, DL + WB, OD, TG (Lakshmi Puja) |
2nd and 4th Saturday Bank Holidays — October 2026
| Saturday | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Saturday | 3 October 2026 | Banks OPEN |
| 2nd Saturday | 10 October 2026 | Banks CLOSED |
| 3rd Saturday | 17 October 2026 | Banks OPEN |
| 4th Saturday | 24 October 2026 | Banks CLOSED |
| 5th Saturday | 31 October 2026 | Banks OPEN |
Important note: The 4th Saturday (24 Oct) leads directly into Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti and Lakshmi Puja (26 Oct, Monday) in several states, with Sunday 25 Oct in between. That creates a three-day banking gap (Sat–Sun–Mon, 24–26 October) in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Telangana. Anyone with payroll, vendor settlements, or GST payments due in late October must initiate by Thursday 22 October.
The October 2026 Problem: Three Separate Holiday Clusters
October 2026 is uniquely disruptive because it does not have one big holiday cluster — it has three separate closing windows spread across the month, each of which affects a different combination of states. This makes October harder to plan around than a month like August, where the disruption is concentrated in the final two weeks.
| Date | Day | Status (most states) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | CLOSED — Gandhi Jayanti (All India) |
| 3 Oct | Saturday | Banks OPEN (1st Saturday) |
| 4 Oct | Sunday | CLOSED |
| 5–9 Oct | Mon–Fri | Working ✓ (5 clean days) |
| 10 Oct | Saturday | CLOSED — 2nd Saturday |
| 11 Oct | Sunday | CLOSED |
| 12–16 Oct | Mon–Fri | Working ✓ (5 clean days) |
| 17 Oct | Saturday | Banks OPEN (3rd Saturday) |
| 18 Oct | Sunday | CLOSED (Maha Ashtami in eastern states) |
| 19 Oct | Monday | CLOSED — Maha Navami (eastern states) |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | CLOSED — Dussehra (most states) |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | CLOSED — Durga Puja (eastern states only) |
| 22–23 Oct | Thu–Fri | Working ✓ |
| 24 Oct | Saturday | CLOSED — 4th Saturday |
| 25 Oct | Sunday | CLOSED |
| 26 Oct | Monday | CLOSED — Valmiki Jayanti / Lakshmi Puja (select states) |
| 27–30 Oct | Tue–Fri | Working ✓ |
| 31 Oct | Saturday | Banks OPEN (5th Saturday) |
For states observing all three clusters (e.g. West Bengal, Odisha) the effective branch-banking days in October drop to as few as 15–16 days out of 31. For northern states like Delhi and UP, the count is still just 18–19 clean days.
State-Wise Bank Holidays in October 2026
Delhi / NCR — 3 Holidays
Delhi’s October is shaped by three distinct closures across three different weeks. The Gandhi Jayanti long weekend (2–4 Oct), the Dussehra closure (20 Oct, Tuesday), and the Valmiki Jayanti–4th Saturday–Sunday triple gap (24–26 Oct) means business owners in Delhi NCR must actively plan around three separate disruption windows rather than one consolidated block.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
Uttar Pradesh — 3 Holidays
Varanasi, Lucknow, and Mathura are major Dussehra celebration centres in UP. The GSTR-3B deadline for September transactions falls on 20 October — the same day as Dussehra. Businesses in UP must file GSTR-3B by Monday 19 October or use the online portal before midnight on 20 October, as branch support will be unavailable on that day.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
Haryana — 3 Holidays
Gurugram-based corporates processing end-of-month vendor payments should note that the 24–26 October three-day gap (4th Saturday, Sunday, Valmiki Jayanti) is a hard deadline to work around. Initiate all RTGS and branch-dependent documentation by Thursday 22 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
Punjab & Himachal Pradesh — 3 Holidays
Punjab / Himachal Pradesh3 Holidays
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana joint capital) follows both states’ holiday patterns. Shimla in Himachal Pradesh — a major tourism and property registration hub — will have the same three closures. October property closings in Shimla should be scheduled in the 5–9 October or 12–16 October windows.
Rajasthan — 3 Holidays
Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur real estate markets are highly active in October before the Diwali season. Plan property registrations and home loan disbursals in the 5–9 or 12–16 October windows. The period 18–26 October is a minefield of closures for Rajasthan branch banking.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
Bihar & Jharkhand — 4 Holidays
Bihar adds Maha Navami (19 Oct) to the national and state pattern, creating a back-to-back two-day closure on 19–20 October. Combined with the preceding 2nd Saturday (10 Oct) weekend, Bihar has four separate non-weekend closures in October. Patna circle businesses should plan all major transactions either in the first two weeks (5–16 Oct) or the final working week (27–31 Oct).
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 19 Oct | Monday | Maha Navami / Durga Puja | Public Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
West Bengal — 5 Holidays (Highest in India)
West Bengal has the heaviest October holiday load in India — five declared bank closures. The Durga Puja cluster alone (19–21 October) creates three consecutive working-day closures in Kolkata. Combined with Maha Ashtami falling on Sunday 18 Oct, the period 18–21 October is a complete banking blackout in West Bengal. Businesses dealing with import/export operations through Kolkata port and any party needing cheque clearances or DDs in this window must complete all transactions by Friday 16 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 19 Oct | Monday | Maha Navami / Durga Puja | Public Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Vijayadashami / Durga Puja | Public Holiday |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | Durga Puja (Ekadashi) | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Lakshmi Puja | Public Holiday |
Odisha — 5 Holidays
Odisha mirrors West Bengal’s festive banking disruption. Bhubaneswar circle banks close for the same Durga Puja cluster and Lakshmi Puja. Odisha’s steel and mining sector generates large inter-bank settlements — any payment pending in the third or fourth week of October should be processed via RTGS by Thursday 16 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 19 Oct | Monday | Maha Navami / Durga Puja | Public Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Vijayadashami / Dussehra | Public Holiday |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | Durga Puja (3rd day) | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Lakshmi Puja | Public Holiday |
Assam & North-East — 3–4 Holidays
Durga Puja is the most significant festival for the eastern and north-eastern states. Guwahati, Agartala, and Shillong observe multiple Durga Puja days. Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur may have additional state-specific observances — verify with the Shillong and Imphal RBI circles. Sikkim may observe Dasain (Durga Puja) for additional days including 22–23 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 19 Oct | Monday | Maha Navami / Durga Puja | Public Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Vijayadashami / Dussehra / Durga Puja | Public Holiday |
| 21 Oct | Wednesday | Durga Puja (3rd day — Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya) | Public Holiday |
Maharashtra — 2 Holidays
October is a relatively manageable month for Mumbai’s financial district after the heavier September Ganesh Chaturthi disruption. Just Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra as formal bank closures — but Diwali’s pre-season energy means reduced business activity in the final week regardless. SEBI regulatory filings and RBI correspondence due in the second half of October should be submitted by Friday 16 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dasara / Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
Karnataka — 2 Holidays
Mysore Dasara is world-famous — the city transforms into a cultural spectacle across the 10-day Navratri period. While the formal bank holiday is only Dasara (20 Oct), Mysore branches and businesses operate at reduced capacity across the full festival week. Bengaluru’s tech sector payroll should be processed by Monday 19 October to ensure Tuesday credit despite the Dasara closure.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dasara / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
Tamil Nadu — 2 Holidays
Ayudha Pooja (the worship of tools and instruments) is the Tamil observance of Vijayadashami. Chennai offices and factories traditionally halt operations on this day to perform puja on machinery and vehicles. The formal bank closure is 20 October — Chennai banking is otherwise relatively uninterrupted through October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Ayudha Pooja / Vijayadashami / Dussehra | Public Holiday |
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana — 2–3 Holidays
Telangana may observe Lakshmi Puja on 26 October in addition to Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra. Hyderabad’s IT sector should confirm with their specific bank branches whether 26 October is a declared closure in their RBI circle. AP follows Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra as the primary closures — Amaravati government disbursals should be cleared before 20 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Lakshmi Puja (Telangana — select circles) | Public Holiday |
Gujarat — 2 Holidays
Navratri is Gujarat’s most famous festival — a nine-night Garba extravaganza celebrated across Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot. While banks formally close only on Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra, practical business activity in Gujarat slows dramatically across the full Navratri period (11–19 October). Plan all vendor settlements and property transactions outside this window.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
Kerala — 2 Holidays
Kerala’s post-Onam business spike (from September) continues into October. Banks observe Gandhi Jayanti and Vijayadashami. With Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi being major home loan and consumer lending hubs, October is one of the busiest months for branch banking in Kerala — plan visits during the clean window of 5–9 and 12–16 October.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Vijayadashami / Dussehra / Ayudha Pooja | Public Holiday |
Chhattisgarh — 3 Holidays
Chhattisgarh observes all three October closures. Raipur’s mining and steel sector is active through October — vendors and contractors in Chhattisgarh should ensure that inter-bank settlements are initiated by Thursday 22 October to clear before the 24–26 October gap.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Oct | Friday | Gandhi Jayanti | National Holiday |
| 20 Oct | Tuesday | Dussehra / Vijayadashami | Public Holiday |
| 26 Oct | Monday | Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti | Public Holiday |
Financial Planning Tips for October 2026
Shift October salary NEFT to 1 October — not the 2nd
Gandhi Jayanti is 2 October (Friday) — a national gazetted holiday. Any employer whose payroll NEFT batch runs on the 2nd of each month must shift processing to Thursday 1 October. Salary processed on 2 October will credit on Monday 5 October at the earliest, which is unacceptable for most employees. NEFT works 24×7 but batches initiated on holiday-linked dates from payroll systems may be queued — confirm with your bank.
2
File GSTR-3B before Dussehra — not on it
The GSTR-3B deadline for September 2026 is 20 October 2026 — the same day as Dussehra. While the GST portal itself works on holidays, bank-linked OTC challan payments, CA support, and bookkeeping staff availability will be disrupted. File GSTR-3B and make any associated tax payments by Monday 19 October. If you need branch banking for GST-linked payments, plan for Friday 16 October as the cut-off.
3
Kolkata and Bhubaneswar: plan by 16 October
West Bengal and Odisha face the heaviest October banking disruption in India — five declared closures plus the Maha Ashtami Sunday. Any transaction requiring branch banking in Kolkata or Bhubaneswar that is due in the second half of October must be completed by Friday 16 October. Import/export documentation, property closings, cheque clearances, and demand drafts are all affected. Do not underestimate the duration of the Durga Puja cluster.
4
The 24–26 October gap: initiate by 22 October
The 4th Saturday (24 Oct) + Sunday (25 Oct) + Valmiki Jayanti/Lakshmi Puja (26 Oct) creates a three-day banking gap in Delhi, UP, Haryana, Punjab, HP, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, and Telangana. Any vendor payments, loan disbursal documentation, or property registration in these states due in late October must be initiated by Thursday 22 October. Do not leave it to Friday 23 October — that is one day before a three-day closure window.
5
Use the clean windows: 5–9 Oct and 12–16 Oct
The two cleanest branch-banking windows in October 2026 are 5–9 October (Mon–Fri) and 12–16 October (Mon–Fri). Both are five-day stretches with no declared holidays in any state. Use these windows for property registrations, home loan disbursals, bulk RTGS settlements, and any documentation-heavy banking task. After 17 October, every week has at least one closure in most states.
6
SIPs on 2 October process on 5 October
If your SIP date falls on 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti), it will be processed on the next working day — Monday 5 October — at that day’s closing NAV. This is standard AMC practice. For SIPs on 20 October (Dussehra), the processing moves to Wednesday 21 October (or Tuesday 21 October in non-eastern states). No action required, but check your unit statement for the shifted NAV date.
7
Diwali is in November — but pre-Diwali activity hits October
Diwali 2026 falls on 8 November (Sunday). However, Dhanteras (6 November) and the full Diwali gold-buying season begins in the last week of October. Banks in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and UP will see a surge in gold loan disbursals, jewellery purchase loans, and home loan closings in the 27–31 October window. If you have a Diwali-linked financial transaction, do not wait for November — begin documentation in the clean 12–16 October window.
What Works on Bank Holidays in October 2026
Bank holidays affect branch operations only. Digital and electronic payment infrastructure remains fully operational:
| Service | Available on Bank Holidays |
|---|---|
| UPI (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM) | Yes — 24×7 |
| NEFT transfers | Yes — 24×7 (RBI round-the-clock mandate) |
| IMPS transfers | Yes — 24×7 |
| Mobile and internet banking | Yes — fully functional |
| ATM cash withdrawals | Yes — fully functional |
| Credit / debit card transactions | Yes — fully functional |
| GST portal filing (GSTR-3B, GSTR-1) | Yes — portal available 24×7 |
| RTGS transfers | Check RBI RTGS holiday schedule — may vary |
| Cheque clearance | No — branch-dependent |
| Demand drafts | No — branch-dependent |
| Locker access | No — branch-dependent |
| Property registration payments | No — sub-registrar office closed on holidays |
Conclusion
October 2026 is India’s most holiday-dense month of the year — and unlike August or September, the disruption is not concentrated in one block. Three separate holiday clusters spread across the month make October uniquely difficult to navigate: the Gandhi Jayanti long weekend, the Dussehra/Durga Puja cluster, and the Valmiki Jayanti/Lakshmi Puja gap.
The four rules for October 2026 banking:
- Shift October salary NEFT to Thursday 1 October — Gandhi Jayanti is a mandatory Friday closure
- File GSTR-3B for September by Monday 19 October — Dussehra (20 Oct) is the exact deadline date
- For West Bengal and Odisha: complete all branch-dependent transactions by Friday 16 October
- For all states: initiate late-October transactions by Thursday 22 October to beat the 24–26 Oct three-day gap
FAQs About Bank Holidays in October 2026
How many bank holidays are there in October 2026?
October 2026 has 1 national gazetted holiday (Gandhi Jayanti, 2 Oct) plus state-level festival closures for Dussehra (20 Oct, most states), Maha Navami (19 Oct, eastern states), Durga Puja additional days (21 Oct, WB/OD/AS), and Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti / Lakshmi Puja (26 Oct, northern and eastern states). Combined with 2 bank-closed Saturdays and 4 Sundays, total closure days range from 8 to 12 depending on your state. West Bengal and Odisha can see up to 11–12 closure days.
Is Gandhi Jayanti a bank holiday on 2 October 2026?
Yes, absolutely. Gandhi Jayanti is one of India’s three mandatory national gazetted holidays. All banks across every state and union territory are closed on 2 October 2026 without exception. It falls on a Friday in 2026, creating a 3-day weekend (2–4 October).
Is Dussehra a bank holiday in all states in 2026?
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) on 20 October 2026 is a bank holiday in most Indian states. It is observed as Dasara in Karnataka, Ayudha Pooja in Tamil Nadu, Vijayadashami / Durga Puja in eastern states. It is not a central gazetted holiday but is widely declared by individual state governments. Confirm with your bank’s state-specific RBI circle notification.
When is the GSTR-3B due date in October 2026?
GSTR-3B for September 2026 transactions is due on 20 October 2026 for monthly filers — which is also Dussehra. The GST portal remains accessible on holidays, but bank-linked payments and CA support may be disrupted. It is strongly recommended to file by Monday 19 October, or use the online payment gateway rather than branch-based challan payment.
Is Navratri a bank holiday in October 2026?
No. Navratri itself (11–19 October 2026) is not a declared bank holiday in most states. Banks remain open during the nine days of Navratri. Only Dussehra — the 10th day on 20 October — is a declared bank closure in most states. However, in Gujarat especially, business activity and branch footfall drop sharply during the Navratri/Garba season.
Is Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti a bank holiday in all states?
No. Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti (26 October 2026) is declared a bank holiday primarily in northern and central states — Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Lakshmi Puja on the same date is observed in West Bengal, Odisha, and Telangana. It is not declared a bank holiday in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, or Kerala.
When is the 2nd Saturday in October 2026?
The 2nd Saturday of October 2026 is 10 October 2026. All banks across India remain closed. The 4th Saturday is 24 October 2026. October also has a 5th Saturday on 31 October — banks are open on that date.
What is the safest window for branch banking in October 2026?
The two cleanest windows are 5–9 October (Monday to Friday) and 12–16 October (Monday to Friday). Both are five-day stretches with no declared bank holidays in any state. After 17 October, every week has at least one closure. For end-of-month transactions, 27–31 October is the next clean opportunity, with 31 October being a working Saturday (5th Saturday).
When is Diwali in 2026 and does it fall in October?
No. Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday 8 November 2026. Dhanteras is on 6 November (Friday). The full Diwali holiday cluster (Dhanteras through Bhai Dooj) falls in November 2026, not October. However, the Diwali shopping season and gold-buying surge typically begin in the final week of October, impacting bank branch footfall significantly.