 has brought its familiar share of calendar confusion this year the RBI's initial annual calendar){kind=link}
The annual countdown to Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha) has brought its familiar share of calendar confusion this year. While the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) initial annual calendar mapped out Wednesday, May 27, 2026, as the primary holiday for major parts of the country, a dynamic shift in moon sightings has triggered a domino effect across state administrations.
Because the crescent moon marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah was not sighted on the anticipated evening in mid-May, religious authorities—including the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid—announced that the month would start a day later. Consequently, for the vast majority of India, the “Festival of Sacrifice” is officially being celebrated on Thursday, May 28, 2026, rather than Wednesday.
The Shift: Where are Banks Closed on May 27 vs. May 28?
Following the revised moon-sighting announcements, the central government and multiple state administrations quickly amended their public holiday notifications under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
- The Federal Update: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) officially shifted the holiday for central government administrative offices located in Delhi/New Delhi to Thursday, May 28 (canceling the previously scheduled May 27 holiday).
- States Moving to May 28: States such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka have realigned their primary public and bank holidays to Thursday, May 28.
- The Two-Day Exception (Kerala): The Kerala state government issued a special notification declaring both Wednesday, May 27, and Thursday, May 28, as public holidays for government offices, financial institutions, and educational centers to ensure zero confusion.
- The Regional Exception (Jammu & Kashmir): Because local religious bodies in parts of Jammu, Srinagar, and Ladakh follow regional moon-sighting protocols that aligned with earlier visibility, these areas are observing their primary holiday on Wednesday, May 27.
Financial Markets and Institutional Impacts
The late-stage schedule shift has caused a ripple effect across multiple financial and academic calendars nationwide:
| Institution / Market | Holiday Status | Impact / Rescheduling |
| National Stock Exchange (NSE) | Closed Thursday, May 28 | Trading is fully suspended on Thursday; markets operate normally on Wednesday. |
| Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) | Closed Thursday, May 28 | Equity, Derivative, and SLB segments will remain closed on Thursday. |
| State AP Advanced Exams | Postponed from May 28 | The Board of Intermediate Education rescheduled affected tests to June 5 and June 12. |
| The Supreme Court of India | Swapped Schedule | The court declared it will function normally on May 27, pushing its holiday to May 28. |
24/7 Digital Banking Infrastructure Remains Untouched
While physical bank branches are heavily impacted by these staggered closures, the Reserve Bank of India ensures that the country’s back-end digital payment architecture runs completely uninterrupted.
If your local branch closed on either day, you can execute almost all daily retail financial operations seamlessly via mobile apps and web portals. The following digital channels remain fully operational 365 days a year:
- Immediate Fund Transfers: Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) remain functional around the clock.
- Physical Cash Operations: Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and automated Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs) continue to accept and dispense paper currency.
- Account Management: Standing instructions, loan requests, credit/debit card blocking, and virtual checkbook requests remain fully processing via your bank’s net banking portal.
Because of the fluid nature of state notifications during lunar holidays, customers who have urgent, on-counter banking tasks (like lockers, demand drafts, or physical document submissions) are strongly urge to cross-verify operational hours with their local branch manager before traveling.