Bank Holidays in Bihar 2025

Overview of Bihar Holidays 2025

Bihar's list of bank holidays for 2025 is structured around the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) calendar and major regional festivals. The year is interspersed with important closures, including three national holidays: Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi Jayanti.

Beyond these, the state observes highly significant regional public holidays in Bihar such as Bihar Day in March and the extended two-day observance of Chhath Puja in October/November. In addition to these festival closures, bank branches remain closed on all Saturday bank holidays, specifically the second and fourth Saturday of every month as mandated nationwide.

Customers planning visits to a bank should note these mandatory off days, especially for months like bank holidays, where the closures are primarily the Second and Fourth Saturdays.

Major Festivals Celebrated in Bihar

Known for its deep cultural roots and spiritual significance, Bihar celebrates a diverse array of festivals, many of which are declared a bank holiday in Bihar or a public holiday. These events form an essential part of the Bihar holiday calendar:

• Chhath Puja
  This is arguably the most unique and significant festival of Bihar. It is a four-day ritual dedicated to the Sun God (Surya Dev) and Chhathi Maiya. It involves rigorous fasting and offering Arghya to the setting and rising sun on the riverbanks. The two main days of the festival are marked by an official bank closure.
• Durga Puja & Maha Navami
  Celebrated as part of the Durga Puja festival, this is one of the important religious holidays leading up to Vijaya Dashami and is a designated bank off-day in Bihar.
• Bihar Day (Bihar Diwas)
  Observed on March 22nd, it commemorates the day the state was separated from the Bengal Presidency in 1912. It is a state-specific public holiday.
• Diwali
  The Festival of Lights is celebrated in Bihar, symbolising the victory of light over darkness and is a bank holiday.
• Holi
  The festival of colours, one of the most popular events in Bihar.
• Makar Sankranti
  A harvest festival marked by kite flying and traditional sweets.

The Unique Significance of Chhath Puja: Worshipping the Setting Sun

Chhath Puja is unique among Hindu festivals for its ritualistic worship of the setting sun (Sandhya Arghya), immediately followed by the rising sun (Usha Arghya). This profound practice, central to Bihar's identity, symbolizes the cycle of life, the acceptance of change, and the pursuit of purification.

Dedicated to the Sun God (Surya) and Chhathi Maiya, the four-day festival involves a rigorous, long-duration fast, with devotees standing waist-deep in water on the banks of rivers (especially the Ganges) to offer prayers for the longevity, prosperity, and well-being of their families. This deep, nature-based devotion sets the tone for these crucial public holidays in Bihar.