Lohri and Makar Sankranti Bank Holidays: Full Details Inside

As January 2025 unfolds, several bank holidays will be observed across different states, in celebration of various festivals. Below is the detailed schedule for bank holidays in India for the month of January, including both national and regional holidays.

Lohri and Makar Sankranti Holidays

Today, January 13, marks the festival of Lohri, celebrated primarily in northern states like Punjab and Haryana. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holiday calendar, banks will remain open today, Monday, and operations will proceed as usual across public and private sector banks.

However, on January 14, several states will observe a bank holiday in celebration of Makar Sankranti, a significant harvest festival. Other festivals celebrated on the same day include Uttarayana Punyakala, Pongal, Maghe Sankranti, Magh Bihu, and the Birthday of Hazrat Ali.

Banks will be closed in the following cities and states on January 14:

Ahmedabad

Bengaluru

Bhubaneswar

Chennai

Gangtok

Guwahati

Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana)

Itanagar

Kanpur

Lucknow

Bank Holidays Across India in January 2025

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) categorizes holidays into three types:

Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Holiday

Banks’ Closing of Accounts Holiday

Holidays Under the Negotiable Instruments Act

Banks typically close on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, as well as on Sundays. Additionally, they remain shut on state-specific festivals. National festivals result in bank closures across the country.

Here is a detailed look at the bank holidays for January 2025:

January 1 (Wednesday): New Year’s Day, Loosong, Namsoong – Banks closed in Aizawl, Chennai, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Kolkata, Shillong.

January 2 (Thursday): Loosong/Namsoong/New Year Celebration – Banks closed in Aizawl and Gangtok.

January 6 (Monday): Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday – Banks closed in Chandigarh.

January 11 (Saturday): Missionary Day/Imoinu Iratpa – Banks closed in Aizawl and Imphal.

January 14 (Tuesday): Makar Sankranti, Uttarayana Punyakala, Pongal, Maghe Sankranti, Magh Bihu, Birthday of Hazrat Ali – Banks closed in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gangtok, Guwahati, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), Itanagar, Kanpur, Lucknow.

January 15 (Wednesday): Thiruvalluvar Day – Banks closed in Chennai.

January 16 (Thursday): Uzhavar Thirunal – Banks closed in Chennai.

January 23 (Thursday): Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Vir Surendrasai Jayanti – Banks closed in Agartala, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata.

Accessing Banking Services on Holidays

While banks will remain closed on these holidays, customers can still access banking services through alternative channels like net banking, ATMs, mobile banking apps, and bank websites.