August 19 will be observed as a bank holiday in various cities due to Raksha Bandhan, Jhulana Purnima, and the birth anniversary of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur. This festival, celebrated in the month of Shravan, typically in August, involves sisters tying a rakhi a ceremonial thread on their brothers’ wrists while wishing for their well-being and prosperity. With the festival approaching, many are curious about the banking schedule for the day.

Banks will not be closed nationwide for Rakhi. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) bank holiday calendar, both public and private sector banks will remain open in states where the festival is not a recognized holiday. However, in cities where Rakhi is officially observed, banks will be closed.

List of states closed on August 19

Tripura, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, bank employees of these states will enjoy their holidays on the auspicious occasion.

Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan celebrates the special bond between siblings. Held on the full moon day, or Purnima, in the Hindu month of Shravan, the festival is marked by a sister applying a tilak to her brother’s forehead and tying a rakhi around his wrist to wish him health and prosperity. In return, the brother typically gives her a gift. Today, the tradition has expanded to include friends and distant relatives, who also exchange rakhi as a symbol of their bond.

Jhulana Purnima

Jhulana Purnima, also known as Jhulan Yatra, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the swinging pastime of Krishna and Radha. Observed primarily by the Vaishnava community during the Hindu month of Shravana, which falls around July and August, the festival features decorated swings, songs, and dances. It honors the divine couple, Radha and Krishna, and marks the monsoon season in India. Jhulan Yatra is especially celebrated in Orissa.

Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya

Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, born on August 19, 1908, in Tripura, is celebrated as the ‘Modern Architect of Tripura.’ He established the state’s first higher education institution and ruled Tripura before its integration with India. His reign laid the groundwork for the modern planning of Tripura, earning him the title of the father of contemporary architecture in the region. Additionally, he was a noted educationist and a pioneer in land reforms.

According to the RBI’s holiday schedule, banks will be closed for seven days in August due to national and regional festivals, excluding weekends.