The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced the withdrawal of Rs 2000 denomination banknotes from circulation as part of its "Clean Note Policy." However, these notes will continue to be legal tender. The RBI said that starting from May 23, 2023, individuals can exchange Rs 2000 banknotes for other denominations up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank to ensure operational convenience and avoid disruption of regular banking activities.

If you are planning to visit a bank to exchange your Rs 2000 banknote, it is crucial to be aware of the list of bank holidays when the banks will remain closed. This report provides an overview of the scheduled bank holidays during which banks will not be operational, ensuring that individuals seeking to exchange their Rs 2000 banknotes can plan their visit accordingly.

The RBI regulates most functions of banks and determines their schedules and holidays for the whole year. Both public sector banks and private sector banks do not work on Sundays and on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, according to RBI guidelines.

Bank holidays in India consist of mandatory holidays set by the banking sector and additional holidays for festivals and special occasions authorised by different states.

Here is the complete list of Bank Holidays in 2023:

Date Day Holiday
January 1, 2023 Sunday New Year’s Day
January 23, 2023 Monday Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti
January 26, 2023 Thursday Republic Day
February 5, 2023 Sunday  Guru Ravidas Jayanti
February 18, 2023 Saturday Maha Shivaratri
March 8, 2023 Wednesday Holi
March 22, 2023 Wednesday Ugadi
March 30, 2023 Thursday Ram Navami
April 4, 2023 Tuesday Mahavir Jayanti
 April 7, 2023 Friday Good Friday
April 14, 2023 Friday Dr Ambedkar Jayanti
April 22, 2023 Saturday Eid ul Fitr
May 1, 2023 Monday May Day/ Labour Day
May 5, 2023 Friday Buddha Purnima
June 29, 2023 Thursday Bakrid/ Eid al Adha
July 29, 2023 Saturday Muharram
August 15, 2023 Tuesday Independence Day 
August 16, 2023 Wednesday Parsi New Year
August 31, 2023 Thursday Raksha Bandhan
September 7, 2023 Thursday Janmashtami
September 19, 2023 Tuesday Ganesh Chaturthi
September 28, 2023 Thursday Eid e Milad
October 2, 2023 Monday Gandhi Jayanti
October 21, 2023 Monday Maha Saptami
October 22, 2023 Sunday Maha Ashtami 
October 23, 2023 Monday Maha Navami
October 24, 2023 Tuesday Vijaya Dashami
November 12, 2023 Sunday Diwali
November 13, 2023 Monday Deepavali Holiday
November 15, 2023 Wednesday Bhai Dooj
November 27, 2023 Monday Guru Nanak Jayanti
December 25, 2023 Monday Christmas Day

For those planning to exchange Rs 2000 banknotes starting from May 23 till September 30, 2023, as per RBI's guideline. Here is the full list of region-wise bank holidays in the next 4 months. 

May 2023

Day Holiday Description Region
May 1 Maharashtra Day/May Day Belapur, Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad – Telangana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Panaji, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram
May 5 Buddha Purnima Aizawl, Belapur, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Kanpur, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Raipur, Ranchi and Shimla.
May 16 State Day Gangtok
May 22 Maharana Pratap Jayanti Shimla

June 2023

Day Holiday Description Region
June 15 Y.M.A. Day Aizawl
June 20 Kang (Rathajatra) Imphal
June 28 Bakri Eid (Eid-Ul-Zuha)
Belapur, Mumbai, Nagpur and Thiruvananthapuram
June 29 Bakri Eid (Eid-Ul-Adha) All
June 30 Remna Ni Aizawl

July 2023

Day Holiday Description Region
July 6 MHIP Day Aizawl
July 13 Bhanu Jayanti Gangtok
July 17 U Tirot Sing Day Shillong
July 21 Drukpa Tshe-zi Gangtok
July 29 Muharram (Tajiya) All

August 2023

Day Holiday Description Region
August 8 Tendong Lho Rum Faat Gangtok
August 15 Independence Day All
August 16 Parsi New Year (Shahenshahi)
Belapur, Mumbai and Nagpur
August 18 Tithi of Srimanta Sankardeva Guwahati
August 28 First Onam
Thiruvananthapuram
August 29 Thiruvonam
Thiruvananthapuram
August 30 Raksha Bandhan
Jaipur and Shimla
August 31 Raksha Bandhan/Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi/Pang-Lhabsol
Gangtok, Kanpur, Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram

September 2023

Day Holiday Description Region
September 6 Sri Krishna Janmashtami
Bhubaneswar, Chennai and Patna
September 7 Janmashtami (Shravan Vad-8)/Sri Krishna Ashtami Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Gangtok, Hyderabad – Telangana, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong and Shimla
September 18 Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata/Vinayaka Chathurthi
Bengaluru and Hyderabad – Telangana
September 19 Ganesh Chaturthi/Samvatsari (Chaturthi Paksha) Ahmedabad, Belapur, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Nagpur and Panaji
September 20 Ganesh Chaturthi (2nd day)/Nuakhai
Bhubaneswar and Panaji
September 22 Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi Day
Thiruvananthapuram
September 25 Janmotsav of Srimanta Sankardeva Guwahati
September 27 Milad-i-Sherif (Birthday of Prophet Muhammed)
Thiruvananthapuram
September 28 Eid-E-Milad/Eid-e-Meeladunnabi – (Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday) (Bara Vafat) Ahmedabad, Aizawl, Belapur, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad – Telangana, Imphal, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Raipur and Ranchi
September 29 Indrajatra Gangtok

If you plan to visit a bank in India for the purpose of exchanging your Rs 2000 banknote, it is essential to check the list of bank holidays and closure dates provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). By being aware of these holidays, you can ensure that your visit aligns with the operational hours of the bank, thereby avoiding any inconvenience. Stay informed and plan your visit accordingly to facilitate a smooth exchange process.