Buddha Purnima 2024: From banks to offices, what’s open and what’s closed

Buddha Purnima 2024: Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti commemorates the birth of Lord Gautam Buddha. The holiday, also known as Vesak, is a yearly celebration observed on the first full moon of the Hindu calendar month Vaishakha.

Buddha was born around 563 BC in Lumbini (present-day Nepal) as Prince Siddhartha Gautam. Buddhists worldwide celebrate Buddha Purnima with great fervour. This year, the festival will be observed today, on May 23 (Thursday).

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Notably. Buddha Purnima is a gazetted holiday and hence all government offices, schools, post-offices and banks will remain closed today. 

We take a closer look at what is closed on Buddha Purnima and what's open.

What's Closed?

• All government offices closed: Since Buddha Purnima is a gazetted holiday, all government offices in most states are closed for a holiday today.

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• All schools closed: All schools also remain closed for gazetted holidays.
• All post offices closed: Post offices constitute as government offices and will this also be closed on the occassion of Buddha Purnima.
• All banks closed: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), determines and creates a schedule listing all bank holidays for the calendar year in conjunction with declared state government holidays. Besides this, bank holidays are also based on national/state holidays, cultural or religious observances, operational needs, government announcements, and coordination with other banks. The central bank shares this schedule through official channels such as its website and notifications to banks and other financial institutions.

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However, not all regional customs and religious festivals are celebrated across India and thus may be working days in some states. So, you must confirm all holidays and days off with your nearest branch to avoid any inconvenience.

What's Open?

• Markets open today: The BSE and NSE are open for trading. Equities and derivates segment will be open for trading on May 23 for Buddha Purnima, as per the BSE website. The markets were last closed for voting on account of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in Mumbai on May 20.