Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami, Dasara, or Dashain) is an important Hindu festival that commemorates the triumph of good over evil. This festival is a designated public holiday in India and is observed on the 10th day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Ashvin (Ashwayuja) in the Hindu calendar.
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Many followers of the Hindu faith participate in Dussehra by attending special prayer gatherings and making food offerings to the deities either at home or in temples across India. Additionally, they organize outdoor fairs (melas) and grand processions featuring effigies of Ravana, a mythical king of ancient Sri Lanka. These effigies are set ablaze on bonfires during the evening. Dussehra serves as the culmination of the Navaratri festival.
On the occasion of Dussehra, banks will be closed on varying days depending on the state. In certain states, banks will remain closed for four consecutive days to observe festivals like Dussehra.
In October, banks in several states will be closed for 15 days because of specific state festivals. These bank holidays will also encompass all Sundays as well as the second and fourth Saturdays.
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State wise holiday list for Dussehra
- October 10- Durga Puja/Dussehra (Maha Saptami)—Banks are closed in Tripura, Assam, Nagaland, Bengal.
- October 11- Dusshera (Mahashtami/Mahanavami)/Ayudha Pooja/Durga Puja (Dasain)/Durga Ashtami- Banks are closed in Tripura, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya.
- October 12- Dasara/Dussehra (Mahanavami/Vijayadashmi)/Durga Puja (Dasain)- Banks are closed all states as is the second Saturday of the month.
- October 13- Sunday
- October 14- Durga Puja (Dasain)- – Banks are closed in Sikkim.
Dussehra bank holiday: Long weekend in these states
Banks in Tripura, Assam, Bengal state will be closed on October 10, 11, 12,and 13. In Sikkim, banks will be closed on October 11, 12, 13, 14.
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Other holidays in October
- Lakshmi Puja- October 16- Banks are closed in Tripura and Bengal.
- Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti/Kati Bihu- October 17-Banks are closed in Karnataka, Assam, Himachal Pradesh.
- Accession Day- October 26- Banks are closed in Jammu and Srinagar
- Diwali (Deepavali)/Kali Puja/Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Birthday/Naraka Chaturdashi-October 31- Banks are closed in most of the states except Tripura, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya.
| Oct-24 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 26 | 31 |
| Agartala | • | • | • | • | • | ||||||
| Ahmedabad | • | • | |||||||||
| Aizawl | • | • | |||||||||
| Belapur | • | • | |||||||||
| Bengaluru | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Bhopal | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Bhubaneswar | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Chandigarh | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Chennai | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Dehradun | • | • | |||||||||
| Gangtok | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Guwahati | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||||
| Hyderabad – Andhra Pradesh | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Hyderabad – Telangana | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Imphal | • | • | |||||||||
| Itanagar | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Jaipur | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Jammu | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Kanpur | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Kochi | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Kohima | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Kolkata | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||||
| Lucknow | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Mumbai | • | • | |||||||||
| Nagpur | • | • | |||||||||
| New Delhi | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Panaji | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Patna | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Raipur | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Ranchi | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Shillong | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Shimla | • | • | • | • | |||||||
| Srinagar | • | • | • | ||||||||
| Thiruvananthapuram | • | • | • |
| Holiday Description | Day |
| General Elections to the State Legislative Assembly 2024 | 1 |
| Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti/Mahalaya Amavasye | 2 |
| Navratra Sthapna/Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti | 3 |
| Durga Puja/Dussehra (Maha Saptami) | 10 |
| Dusshera (Mahashtami/Mahanavami)/Ayudha Pooja/Durga Puja (Dasain)/Durga Ashtami | 11 |
| Dasara/Dussehra (Mahanavami/Vijayadashmi)/Durga Puja (Dasain) | 12 |
| Durga Puja (Dasain) | 14 |
| Lakshmi Puja | 16 |
| Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti/Kati Bihu | 17 |
| Accession Day | 26 |
| Diwali (Deepavali)/Kali Puja/Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Birthday/Naraka Chaturdashi | 31 |
Source: RBI website
